


Scott McCall, the Mikaelson

by IAmKIM



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:27:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 158,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25763671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmKIM/pseuds/IAmKIM
Summary: The Teen Wolf universe (S5 E20 AU) crosses over with The Vampire Diaries universe (S2 E22 AU) when True Alpha Scott McCall kills Sebastien Valet, unknowingly evoking an ancient rite of passage.
Comments: 92
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

True Alpha Scott McCall felt a rush of excitement run through him when he delivered the finishing blow and killed Sebastien Valet, the beast of Gevaudan. It was like nothing he has ever felt before, watching as the ancient werewolf's spirit get destroyed by the special sword and disappear with it. It felt like...

That thought was stopped when the McCall felt an excruciating pain ran through his body and his flesh and bones shifting, breaking and repairing at the same time while his blood and eyes burned. He screamed in agony and tried to arch backward, especially when he felt his spine breaking, but found himself bending forward on all fours, gums aching as much as his body.

Scott thought his first full moon transformation was excruciating, but this, this definitely topped it as his screams turned to growls. Lydia Martin, Deputy Jordan Parrish, Kira Yukimura, Liam Dunbar, Mason Hewitt and Corey Bryant watched in shock as Scott tore his clothes and transformed into a wolf, an actual brown full wolf with alpha red eyes!

Jordan was amazed and puzzled by the sight. He was amazed by the wolf before him, but was puzzled by the pain the alpha went through to achieve the transformation. The hellhound didn't know much about werewolves, but he did know that the McCall wasn't supposed to go through the agony he went through.

He witnessed Derek Hale's transformation after all, well, part of it, but he was quite sure the werewolf wasn't in pain like Scott. His transformation was actually smooth. Jordan was pulled out of his short contemplation when they all saw wolf-Scott lift his head up and what followed next, was the most primal alpha wolf howl the pack has ever heard from the true alpha.

It was raw, it was unrestrained, it was so primal and dominating that it forced them all to lower their heads in submission and a healthy dose of fear even as Liam, Kira and Lydia felt empowered by it. Scott felt alive. No, scratch that, he felt more than alive. Like a spark lit up in him. He felt complete.

The alpha would have never thought his senses and power would ever be more heightened or feel as warm as he felt, but that was exactly how he felt. Scott felt like going for a run and... At that moment, he caught a scent, a scent he knew all too well. Blood. But this time, it smelled heavenly, inviting and upon turning to see where it came from exactly, apart from everyone around him, he found the source to be Lydia's neck.

Drool ran down Scott's mouth even as his throat dried when he saw the bandage on the banshee's neck soaked with blood and could not help but ran his tongue over his fangs. Lydia disappeared and in her place, the wolf saw a tasty meal to quench his thirst. The others saw wolf-Scott's eyes lock in on the banshee, hunger quite clear in them.

The hairs on the back of their necks stood up, sensing the presence of a predator, none more so than Lydia, especially when he stalked towards her. The banshee could see that her friend was not himself and if she showed weakness, he would definitely pick up on it and be encouraged, so she tried to knock some sense into him before he fully gave in to the blood lust, but a sudden urge to wail hit her, hard.

It took but a moment for her to hear the voices only a banshee could hear screaming about an impending death and when she heard them, the Martin felt the air get knocked out of her. Lydia tried hard to hold in the scream, she really did, but she couldn't, for when a banshee senses death, particularly of those close to them, they involuntary screamed and that's exactly what she did.

Scott could taste the blood even before he got close to Lydia, but he was knocked out of his blood lust haze when her wail pierced his ears and heard her scream out a name with tears in her eyes, but it wasn't his. It was...

"STILES!" Wailed a distraught Lydia Martin, and the wail echoed throughout the tunnels and Beacon Hills.

Break

By the time the scream reached Malia Tate's ears, it was too late. Stiles' sudden appearance through the back door worked in Corrine's favor and the young werecoyote couldn't stop her biological mother from shooting him in time.

"Oh, God." Said Stiles, right before the gun went off.

He might have heard the shot, but he never got to feel it, for Corrine shot him straight between the eyes, a smug smirk on her face. She didn't want to give her daughter the chance to save the boy or even say goodbyes, and the best way to ensure that was a bullet to his head. It served her right for being a parasite and stealing her power.

"Stiles!" Called Malia, as she saw her former boyfriend's body fall in slow motion and rushed to break it's fall, tears silently falling down her cheeks, but she felt numb.

So, so, numb. The girl slid down with Stiles' lifeless body in her arms and held on tight. She warned him that Corrine might want to kill him too for this very reason, but it didn't matter in the end because he walking straight to his death and her mother didn't miss the chance.

The older werecoyote took great pleasure in taking another moment from Malia by shooting the girl in the shoulder, forcing her to let go of the human's body. The girl cried out in pain, reminded that the person responsible for Stiles' death was still around but held on to one of his hands.

Corrine didn't give Malia any chance before she once again shoot her, but this time in the hamstring to prevent her from standing. She wanted to taunt her offspring a little before killing her and the groan she got from shooting her the second time was truly satisfying.

The woman knew it was petty but she had to live 17 years without her power, all because of Malia, so she thought it fitting that the girl suffer a little before dying. It helped that Braeden couldn't shot her from where they were.

That thought had Corrine grinning widely and causing Malia to try and push away from her mother. That was when she felt something in Stiles hand slip into hers. Belasko's talons, although she didn't know that just yet.

Braeden was confused over what was happening inside the house. She was sweating profusely and slipping in and out of consciousness because of the blood loss from the wound she received when the desert wolf shot her, so she couldn't quite keep up with what was happening. The mercenary was actually unconscious when she was woken up by a gun shot and then heard Malia screaming Stiles' name.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness once again, two more gun shots rang, preventing that from happening and making her endure the pain. Braeden tried to help Malia and distract herself from the pain, but that proved difficult with none of the werecoyotes or Stiles in sight, not to mention moving caused the bullet buried inside her gut to move, increasing the pain.

Another gun shot rang out and the Tate's scream followed suit, encouraging the human to at least try to get inside the house, but that proved difficult when she found herself losing consciousness once again, falling over the mountain ash barrier and breaking it in the process. Braeden tried to close it but she wasn't able to stay conscious long enough.

Break

Lydia's scream caused a certain painful memory to come forth, for there was only one other time the banshee screamed someone's name like that. The memory was still quite fresh in Scott's mind after Sebastien made him relieve it and he couldn't take it. Lydia once screamed out Allison Argent's name and what followed broke his heart.

Allison died. She died in his arms because he couldn't save her. And now that Lydia screamed, Scott knew exactly what would follow and he felt a part of him die once again. Liam felt more than saw his alpha's pain. While Lydia broke down and cried, with Kira embracing her and following suit as she too was there when Allison died, Scott could not cry in his wolf form, but the mournful whimper and anguish in his chemo-signals more than made up for the tears.

The beta knew deep down just what that meant, and he found it hard to breath, especially when he sensed his pack's grief. Mason in his confusion over what was happening, went to his best friend's side to offer his support.

He didn't know or understand what was going on, but by the way Liam reacted after staring at Kira, Lydia and Scott, told him something bad happened, so he offered his best friend support. Corey felt like an outsider and rushed to leave, but that drew Scott's attention and the wolf's grief quickly transformed to primal rage.

Scott wanted to lash out and destroy everything in his path, the pain was just too much and the chimera's sudden movement gave him a target. He locked on to Corey and stalked towards him, snarling with murder in his eyes. Losing Allison nearly broke the true alpha, but losing Stiles was the last straw. He couldn't take it anymore.

He didn't care about being the good guy anymore, he just wanted to destroy and let the world share his pain. Sebastien said that he fought without a killer instinct, well, he was about to...

"Scott, Don't! You can't do this!" Called out Jordan, getting between Scott and Corey.

The wolf growled deep, baring his teeth and rushed to attack the damn hellhound for getting in his way. No one could tell him what he could and could not do. No one! When he was done with Jordan and Corey, the person responsible for Stiles' death was going to meet a gruesome end. That, Scott promised himself.

The hellhound didn't expect the wolf to respond as he did, but transformed to defend himself. Cerberus felt it necessary to prevent the true alpha from killing Corey, for it knew that would just be the start of a killing spree. It sensed the being that was unleashed when Scot killed Sebastien and knew not to let it loose.

What Cerberus felt, so did Jordan, for they were merged now, so he knew he needed to stop Scott, but the moment he was covered in flames, they were extinguish and he was left with his partial hound form before the enraged alpha tackled him to the ground and immediately went for the throat.

"SCOTT!" Screamed Lydia, stopping her alpha and friend's jaws just half an inch from Jordan's throat.

Jordan could actually feel the wolf's warm breath and saliva drop on his throat, but he quickly used Scott's pause to his advantage and kicked him off of him, sending the wolf flying, and got to his feet. Scott landed on his feet and viciously snarled before he went to charge towards the hellhound. The hound went to follow the wolf's lead but Lydia got between them, a furious disapproving look in her eyes.

"Stop it!" She exclaimed, looking between the two shape-shifters.

Scott bared his teeth at Lydia, but the girl didn't back down, instead, she gave him her full attention.

"I know how you feel, OK? I, I know." She told him, voice soft.

The he-wolf smelled the truth in Lydia's statement and scent, and that drove home just how real the situation was. He didn't want to acknowledge it, he didn't! So, he turned away from her before she could say anything more but was met with Kira's soft, tender and teary eyes. All hope of escaping the truth faded immediately, for he knew he could not run away from her or Lydia.

The pain that he tried to replace with anger came back and it felt like someone really strong hit his guy with a hummer, hard. Kira approached Scott when she heard him whimper and hugged him around the neck and felt his head rest on her shoulder.

Lydia and Liam joined their pack mates while Jordan calmed down and watched on with Mason and Corey. Neither member of the McCall Pack wanted to leave and confirm Stiles' death. They didn't. They knew what they would find, but they also knew that they had to check on Malia and Braeden.

That thought made Scott pull himself together and focus on what he needed to do before he could give in to grief. The pack slowly pulled apart and the alpha immediately turned to his bitten beta and used the limited telepathy he had with him to tell Liam to get Corey and Mason home. To everyone else, it looked like Scott was barking nonsense but to Liam, it was an order from his alpha that he immediately carried out.

He signaled for his friends to follow him and they left. Although he was pissed at Corey for not stepping in and helping them in the fight, tonight was not the night to confront him. Once Liam, Mason and Corey were gone, Scott turned to Jordan and gave him a look before he barked another order, looking at Kira and Lydia then returned his eyes on Jordan who seemed to understand that he was supposed to watch over them.

The true alpha circled around the two girls, brushing against them to cover them with his scent while they ran their hands through his soft brown fur before he ran out. He still had a pack mate and an ally to see to.

"Is he going to be alright?" Asked the kitsune, collapsing her sword to its belt form.

"I don't know." Replied Lydia.

She has never seen Scott like that before. No, that was a lie. She, along with everyone, got a clips of an aggressive Scott when he invaded Corey's mind without permission when he was desperate to find Liam when the chimera proved to be a slow reader and he grew impatient. She didn't know how to feel about that.

But what she did know was that Scott was definitely never going to be the same if Stiles truly died, and neither was she. Allison's death almost destroyed them, Stiles'? It might just be the...

"Are you going to be alright, Lydia?" Jordan asked, interrupting the girl's thoughts, coming over to her as he shifted to human form.

"I, I don't know." And she didn't, for all she knew was death.

The hellhound went with his instinct and enveloped the girl with a hug that she quickly returned. Kira's heart broke at the sight and she turned away, leaving them as they were, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. She only came back to fight with her friends, with her pack one last time, for she had to go away.

It hurt seeing Lydia and Jordan as they were because the thunder kitsune knew there wouldn't be anymore moments like that between her and Scott after she breaks up with him and leaves town. She had an agreement with the skinwalkers. They were going to help her regain control and find balance with her fox spirit, but Kira had to stay with the skinwalkers for the duration of her training. Without outside contact.

Those were their terms. That meant the young Yukimura had to break up with her boyfriend and leave him just after he lost his best friend. It was like the whole situation with Allison and Isaac all over again. It didn't help that there was a chance Kira wasn't going to see her friends again after finding balance because her parents were leaving Beacon Hills.

Break

Deucalion, Chris and Gerard heard both Scott's alpha howl and Lydia's scream and the older Argent couldn't help but take joy in knowing Scott McCall lost his best friend even as he clutched his arm after his own son shot him.

"It looks like a certain wolf just lost a friend." Commented Gerard, his amusement clear to all.

That pissed off Chris and he ended up hitting his father with the back of his gun hard on his head, knocking him out. The Argent couldn't help but remember arriving at Oak Creek to the sight of his daughter lying in Scott's arms, lifeless. It wasn't easy getting the alpha to let go of her still body just as it wasn't easy seeing her dead and having to coach the boy through covering Allison's true cause of death.

Chris felt like Gerard was spitting on daughter's memory by finding the situation amusing. Allison died to save her friends and he wasn't about to let the old man spit on that. Deucalion picked up on Chris' emotional state and silently took out the bullet Gerard shot him with before he stood up and excused himself.

He would talk with Scott later, he knew the young wolf would seek him out. The demon wolf also knew that it was time he repaid the older Argent for blinding and now shooting him. But more importantly, he needed to eliminate a threat to Scott, especially if what he suspected was true.

The boy's alpha roar sounded more wolf than before, so, it was likely that the true alpha killed someone, and unknowingly evoked his werewolf curse and broke the curse placed on him by the Calix Witch Coven at birth. The true reason Deucalion came after Scott in the first place. The demon wolf couldn't allow Gerard to live and discover the truth behind the young alpha's parentage.

He couldn't and wouldn't. That man was the most vile human he knew. 

Break

Deucalion and the Argents weren't the only ones who heard Scott and Lydia, Theo heard them too and took great pleasure in Stiles' demise. The human should have taken him up on his offer and now he paid the price. The chimera sneaked away from the demon wolf and the father and son duo a while ago.

Since Scott saw fit to ruin his plans, he wanted to pay him back. While Theo was looking for the true alpha, he saw a blur pass just ahead of him and a moment later, Scott's scent hit his nose, surprising him. The boy was puzzled for a moment before he realized where Scott was heading and followed suit.

It seemed like he had one more chance to kill Scott McCall, and this time, Theo planned to tear him apart since the true alpha proved capable of resurrection. He followed the McCall's scent and noticed that something was different with it, but did not think much of it. A change in Scott's scent wasn't going to save him, and with that thought, he gave chase. 

Break

Scott ran as fast as he could once he got out of the tunnels and was surprised at the speed he reached. Everything was like a blur and he felt like he was flying. He knew how fast he could be, but this was way faster than Peter Hale as a beast alpha, and even Deucalion back at the abandoned distillery building during a full moon.

Faster than when he beat Peter a few months ago. But that was not important, what was important was getting to his house as fast as supernaturally possible, so Scott pushed harder and his wolf form responded beautifully. Unknowingly creating quite a gap between Theo and himself.

It was like everything slowed down in his line of sight while his peripheral vision completely blurred. Tunnel vision. It felt great! Thankfully, it was night time so the road wasn't as busy as during the day or early evening.

The McCall arrived at his house in no time and when he did, he found an unconscious Braeden lying on her front on the front door threshold in a small pool of her own blood. It took half a moment for the last part to register. Blood!

Scott's mind clouded, throat dried and his thirst came back, but this time, stronger. He lowered his head to lick the blood on the floor and when he did, it didn't take long for his tastebuds to explode. The true alpha never knew blood could be so...

Tasty! No, that was an understatement. One word; euphoric. But it wasn't just the taste, it was the power that came with the blood. It was indescribable. Scott went in to lick some more of it until he reached its source, Braeden, and just when he was about to sink his teeth into her flesh, he heard...

"Why don't you just kill me already?" Asked a frustrated but strained female voice.

Malia's.

Break

Corrine laughed at Malia's question, but she didn't realize that the girl found Belasko's talons that Scott gave Stiles to give to her and was buying time to put them on. Subtlety was never her strongest trait outside hunting and sneaking around in her coyote form, but this time...

"Isn't it obvious, sweetheart? I want you to make you suffer before I finally reclaim my power. The power that you stole from me." Replied Corrine.

"I didn't..."

"Shut up!" She growled out, interrupted Malia. "Since you're in a hurry to die, I just kill you so you can stop whining."

With that said, the older she-coyote partially shifted and the girl was met with her mother's blue coyote eyes, an eye color they had in common for killing people who didn't kill anyone themselves, but that was not all she saw. Her eyes locked with alpha red ones behind her mother.

The Tate only knew of one alpha who would come to her aid. Her very own alpha. Scott McCall. Corrine went to bury her claws in her downed daughter's abdomen but heard a deep growl behind her.

Malia watched as her mother turned around only for a brown alpha wolf to tackle her to the floor before it sank it's teeth into her neck faster than she could react and held on tight as it viciously tore the flesh and threw it to the side. Shocking the Tate.

Corrine screamed in agony and fought back by clawing the sides of the wolf, especially when she felt it bite into her neck once again, but this time, something very weird happened. She felt it suck her blood and heard it swallow, she could swear it sighed in content before it repeated the action. What she didn't see was the wolf's red eyes also glowed brighter as it augmented itself with her life force and power.

Now that, that just pushed the woman's self-preservation instincts to their most primal nature and she kicked and clawed at anything and everything to get the damn wolf to let go of her neck, but it just sank it's fangs deeper before... Malia heard a bone chilling snap after the wolf that she was no longer sure was her alpha let go of Corrine's neck for but a split second before it went straight for the throat and twisted the desert wolf's neck, killing her, but it held on still.

The now only living she-coyote in the house couldn't believe what just happened, especially when the wolf's scent confirmed that it.... No, he, that he was Scott. The wolf form was a surprise, but the vicious killing... Malia's disbelief was cut short when she saw a fully transformed Theo rush in with his sight set on the distracted true alpha.

She didn't need to have super senses to know his intentions and she couldn't let them be carried out. One loss was enough. Theo thought he had Scott right where he wanted him and drew back his clawed hand to strike the back of the wolf's neck. It was quite a surprise to find out that the McCall could now shape-shift into an actual wolf but that did not distract the first chimera, fortunately, although not for him.

The he-coyote felt something tug at his shoulder and when he turned to see what it was, Malia buried her talon clad hand into his abdomen before they along with her coyote eyes glowed bright blue as they began siphoning, causing Theo to gasp in surprise and pain, for he hadn't seen the girl in the room.

He tried to fight back but felt his life drain away. Malia's bright blue eyes told his exactly where his life force was going. The boy recalled Deucalion's lesson about taking power; pain, life, power. But by the time that thought crossed his mind, it was too late. Malia couldn't believe the power that flooded her being, it was incredible.

She couldn't get drunk but she was sure she was. The girl sighed in content when Theo's body hit the floor after she let go of it. He betrayed her trust and threatened her alpha's life after all. The power she subsumed and augmented herself with was amazing! The Tate allowed herself to drown in it and was surprised by what happened.

The moment Scott was sure he drained Corrine's body of all its blood, he was hit by an electric spark, causing him to rip the woman's throat in surprise and turn around to see the source, only to see a stunned Malia surrounded by lightning spark and the house lights flickering. He almost mistook her for Kira, until he saw Theo's body at her feet and recalled the boy electrocuting him and Liam.

Thinking about that reminded the true alpha why he was there in the first and grief once again hit him hard when he saw his best friend's lifeless body on the floor and whimpered. He walked over to it and sat beside it, head on its chest. When Malia saw that, her light show came to an abrupt halt and she followed suit.

"I'm sorry." She said, head bowed and eyes low. 

The he-wolf stared at Stiles body for a moment longer before he stood up and circled around to the girl's side before he surprised her by licking her face and rubbing against her. The Tate was relieved for she knew what that meant. She spend 8 years in the woods after all, seeing how the animals in the wild interacted up close.

It helped that Malia didn't smell anger from Scott directed to her, so she buried her face into his soft and comfortable fur before she remembered someone.

"Braeden!" That caused Scott to recall how he left her.

Although the boy didn't want to leave his best friend's body, he had to check on the woman. He quickly stood up and ran to the front door with Malia. They found Braeden still unconscious and the girl narrowed her eyes on wolf-Scott when she saw the lick marks on the floor when she tried to wake the human, he ignored her.

It was in that moment that Malia remembered the talons on her fingers but decided to take them out after getting Braeden inside and the true alpha watched as the she-coyote picked up the mercenary from the floor.

"Where do I take her?" She asked.

The McCall tried to come up with an answer before he remembered that he was in his wolf form and although he could use his limited telepathy with her, he really needed to be in human form to deal with things. By things he meant getting Braeden help and decide how to deal with his best friend, Theo and Corrine's lifeless bodies.

He wished he was in his human form so that he could... Scott suddenly felt himself transforming out of his wolf form to the human one when he thought of his human form and was very grateful when he didn't feel the agonizing pain he felt back in the tunnels. The transformation was actually smooth this time, pain free.

It reminded him of the first time he saw Malia shifting into her human form after he forced her to with his alpha roar. His first alpha roar. Malia was about to take Braeden to Scott's room since he didn't reply when she saw him shape-shift into his human form, naked as the day he was born. She couldn't help but recall taking her human form for the first time in years.

He was witness to it and now she was witness to his. The McCall felt naked and cold without his fur. He finally understood Malia's complaints during her earlier stages as a human after spending 8 years in her coyote form. Thinking about the beta, the alpha caught her staring at his body.

That confused him a bit before he realized that he didn't just feel naked because he no longer had fur, he was literally naked and Malia was shamelessly taking in his human form, making the boy feel self-conscious. Scott quickly covered his penis, grateful it was not erect. Oh, he could just hear Stiles making a joke about that. His best friend wouldn't have missed the opportunity.

"Malia!" The alpha admonished.

Though Malia has been single for a whole now, Scott was dating someone, and...

"What? You've seen me naked, and I don't remember you looking away." She pointed out.

The boy tried to defend himself but came up empty, so, instead, he told the girl to take Braeden to the spare bedroom since it had its own bathroom and asked for her phone before heading to his room. He couldn't use his own phone because he left it in the tunnels when transformed into his wolf form for the first time.

Heading to his bedroom, he pushed the fact that he drank blood out of his mind and thought of who to call and immediately took Stiles dad off his mental list of people to call first. That was the one call he dreaded more than any other and Sheriff Stilinski was just not the right person to call first.

Especially after the way the law enforcement officer handled Kira's case. Scott truly only think of one person that he knew he could trust to help him with the situation. He knew he wasn't in the right place to think ahead, not when he just drained someone's body of its blood.

Break

Deucalion watched as Chris Argent drove away from the place he left his murderous father at (Argent Arms International Armory) after he received a call from Scott. Although the boy didn't specify why he needed the hunter to go to his house urgently, the demon wolf could guess. What with Lydia's scream. But that was not why he was at what looked like Gerard's new place.

Break

Jordan took Lydia to the hospital to get her neck injury checked before taking her home after making sure Kira was alright. When he was about to leave, the banshee asked him to stay and the hellhound's supernatural connection with her convinced him to, against his best judgement. 

Break

Noshiko and Ken Yukimura were packing their things away when Kira arrived and the girl's heart broke at the sight. Ken stopped what he was doing and went to give his daughter a hug. Seeing his only child break down and cry broke his heart, but they had to do what was best for their family. Beacon Hills was proving to be too much of a beacon for trouble. 

Break

"How is she?" Asked Scott, upon stopping at the guest room door but didn't enter after getting some clothes to wear and calling Chris.

"I don't know, but I just cleaned the wound, took her pain and waited for you to get the bullet out." Replied Malia, standing up from the bed.

"Malia, I don't think it's a good idea for me to be anywhere near fresh blood, especially an open wound." Informed the boy, not meeting the she-coyote's eyes.

She raised an eyebrow for a moment before remembering what happened earlier.

"About that..."

"I don't know." Scott interrupted Malia's question, already knowing what she was going to ask, before continuing, feeling lost. "I have no idea what's going on with me. It all started after I killed Sebastien and..."

"Wait, wait! You killed someone before coming here?" Inquired a shocked Malia.

She thought Scott's first kill was her mother! Even thinking about that was surreal.

"Um, yes." He replied, and slowly raised his head to meet her eyes. "I, I had to, Malia. I..."

The he-wolf tried to convince the Tate but she stopped him.

"I know, Scott. I know if you killed someone it's because there was no other choice. And I can't really judge you, I killed my family and..."

"You were 9 years old, Malia. 9! Not only that, but you were also distressed during a full moon, your first full moon, with no prior knowledge or guidance concerning your supernatural status. There's no way you were aware of what you were doing and you definitely couldn't control yourself." Said Scott, when he smelled Malia's guilt, then unconsciously stepped into the room.

He came closer to her and looked her in the eye before he continued, not realizing his eyes dilated, and Malia's responded.

"Killing your adoptive mother and sister was never a conscious decision, Malia. You know how much the full moon affects us even at our age, all of us, both born and bitten. The full moon heightens our natural aggression, impulses and blood lust as much as it does our abilities, but at the cost of our rationality and clear state of mind.

To this day, there are things I don't remember from my early days as a werewolf, and I kind of had help. I can't imagine a 9-year-old who just suddenly shifted for the first time, due to the full moon and panic, being able to control themselves or even be conscious of their actions. I mean, look at Kate, she knew about and hunted shape-shifters for years and yet she wasn't able to control herself even after months of being a werejaguar!

Can you honestly blame your-9-year-old-self for something even an experienced adult like Kate wasn't able to do, Malia? I don't, nor do I hold it against you. I actually think you're one of the most amazing, bravest and strongest women I know and admire." Both the Tate and McCall blinked, feeling a little strange, before the former took in the latter's words.

She didn't know how much she needed to hear those words until she did. They meant a lot to her, especially since they came from Scott. Before anything more could be said, Malia and Scott heard a car arrive at the house that the latter immediately identified.

"That's Chris." He said, moving to leave the room but stopped to say one more thing. "Don't let your guilt over what happened 8 years ago define you and who you are now, Malia. If it helps, you're a way better person than I am. You didn't enjoy your first kills like I did, and I don't even regret it."

With those shocking last words said, the true alpha left a stunned Tate behind. He was just as stunned that he actually admitted it out loud, although it was true.


	2. Chapter 2

After Chris left, Gerard pondered how he could payback Scott for ruining his plans, again, and destroying his family. Not only did the boy defeat him a while ago, he also turned his own son against him, Chris didn't want anything to do with him anymore, and the man couldn't help but hate Scott McCall even more than he already did.

The experienced hunter knew he made a mistake by underestimating the werewolf for the second time and because of that, history would remember Scott as the one who killed the resurrected beast of Gevaudan and now Beacon Hills. True Alpha Scott McCall, the alpha that killed the resurrected beast of Gevaudan.

Gerard loathed even thinking about it. It truly was sickening how the McCall always found a way to attach himself to his family and now his name was going to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Maid of Gevaudan and the first Argent hunter, Marie-Jeanne Argent, née Valet, instead of him! The human just knew he had to make Scott suffer and hit him where it hurt the most before finally eliminating him.

Oh, there was no way Gerard was going to kill the true alpha without him experiencing an unbearable pain. He thought back to Lydia's banshee scream and a slow smirk replaced his frown. The Argent knew exactly how he was going to hurt Scott McCall, and this time, someone else was going to do it for him. Someone the boy hasn't corrupted like Allison. He...

"Plotting, already?" Asked a voice, starling Gerard.

He went to get his gun but it was nowhere to be found since Chris took it, so he slowly turned to the source of the voice, unarmed, and came face to face with a certain alpha werewolf.

"Deucalion." Sneered the hunter, making the demon wolf smirk. "What are you doing here?"

"The turtle survived your sting and wants to see if you can survive it's bite." Replied a cryptic Deucalion.

It took the Argent a moment to understand what the he-wolf meant and half of that for the demon wolf to rush at him before he bit Gerard on the shoulder and retreated back to watch what would happen. The hunter gave a short cry at the pain from the surprise alpha bite before an excruciating pain exploded from the bite wound and quickly spread throughout his body like hot lava.

Gerard screamed in agony as he fell to the floor and tried to take off his sweater, hoping that would lessen the effects but it just kept on as his body violently rejected the bite. Deucalion watched as black ooze came out of the bite wound and the screaming and threshing human's mouth, eyes, nose and even ears.

As he watched and listened to the man who ambushed him and his pack and the hunters that wanted peace over a decade ago, the demon wolf alpha experienced flashbacks of that encounter, for it forever changed his life. He was once a man who had a vision, a vision of peace, but Gerard Argent took that from him and left him blinded, questioning his dreams, goals and way of thinking.

Marko just made the doubts Gerard planted in his head real when he tried to kill him and that just spiraled out of control until Deucalion gave in to his darker nature. For his vision of peace and belief in humanity was ruthlessly destroyed. Even a man of peace has a breaking point and when he reaches it... Well, Lucifer was a perfect example of what happens when that happened.

Werewolf Hunter Gerard Argent died a long painful death with Demon Wolf Alpha Deucalion looking him in the eye, standing tall like a vengeful Titan. He knew what would happen when he bit the human. The rare flower, yellow wolfsbane. Chris fed his father was more than a cure. The younger Argent knew what he was doing when he gave it to his father and for that, Deucalion was glad.

When the he-wolf took his eyes off of Gerard body and left the building, he felt a weight fall off his shoulders. That was his last action as a violent man, for it all began with Gerard Argent and it ended with him. Deucalion was tired of violence and no longer desired the life he lived ever since Gerard blinded him and Marko tried to usurp him.

Derek Hale and Scott McCall helped him rediscover his lost soul and he didn't want to lose it again. There was just one more thing he needed to do to completely repay his debt to those two young men. Well, only Scott since he already repaid Derek by sending Braeden to rescue him from the Calaveras a while ago.

Deucalion shook his head as he thought about his words to the boy a while ago, to become the alpha he was meant to be, to become a killer. That had been a different time and the man was glad.

Break

"What happened?" Asked Chris, after Scott let him in the house, looking around the place.

It looked like war zone. The boy led the man to where the bodies were, and they both had flashbacks of painful memories but tried hard to push through them. The McCall fought the urge to cry, looking at Stiles body. He stared at it while he informed the Argent on everything from the moment they separated in the tunnels, to now.

When Scott mentioned how Allison saved his life from Sebastien, they both did let some tears fall and Chris gave the boy a tight hug, when he noted that the date marked the first anniversary of her death. Allison was always their middle ground, even after her death, and as much as the human wanted to blame her death on Scott like Kate, he couldn't.

He was glad of that, his daughter wouldn't have wanted him to. Chris thought that she would have actually been mad at him. When they parted, he listened as the he-wolf went on and was puzzled by what he learned, especially what happened after Scott killed Sebastien.

The shape-shifting evolution, literal blood lust, extinguishing Jordan's pyro-transformation, and drinking Corrine's blood...

"Scott, we need to take Braeden to the hospital. Her heart rate is..." Malia interrupted Chris's thoughts, coming down stairs.

"You can't." Said Chris, also interrupting Malia, who raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" She asked.

"At least one of Scott's neighbors must have called the police by now, and they are probably on their way here. Whoever made the call might have kept an eye on the house and saw Stiles, Theo and I arrive, but not Scott specifically since he was in his wolf form. You, Malia, Corrine and Braeden were here before us and the gun shots were heard before we arrived.

Since you're the only witness of everything that happened and Scott used your phone to call me, your statement will be very crucial." Explained the hunter.

The girl now understood why her alpha called the Argent specifically. When she asked him why when he borrowed her phone, Scott pointed out they couldn't tell the police the truth, and that she would understand when Chris arrived why they needed him first, and Malia did.

The girl couldn't help but realize just how abnormal their lives were. Instead of moaning their friend's death, they had to cover the true events that led to his death, lest they reveal the existence of supernaturals to the general public and likely incite mass panic or at least people thinking them crazy.

It was like they were working for the secret shadowy part of a government with their lives and activities equally secret and shadowy. But at least they had each other and Stiles' father was going to get the true story. Malia just wondered how he was going to take it.

Break

"Let me get this straight. Your biological mother, Corrine who is also a professional assassin, is responsible for the car crash you were in 8 years ago?" Asked Deputy Valerie Clarke, also known as Hayden Romero's older sister.

Malia shakily nodded.

"And when she found out that you were still alive, she came back to kill you but Braeden, a former marshal and a friend of yours, found out and came to warn you and capture her?

Though that ended badly when Corrine shot Braeden and not long after that shot and killed M. "Stiles" Stilinski upon his entry into the house using the back door before continuing to shot around to scare you, after which she said something about killing you where you were supposed to die and knocked you out?" Revised Valerie.

Malia wiped a tear and swallowed hard. Having flashbacks of Corrine shooting the car, forcing her adoptive mother to drive off the road and...

"Malia?"

"Yes!" Snapped the girl, earning everyone's attention at the Sheriff Station.

The female deputy gave her fellow deputies a look that said to get back to work.

Since Valerie already had the full statement that explained everything the girl knew concerning what happened, excluding why exactly Corrine wanted to kill her daughter (who knew what the assassin was thinking?), who and what killed Corrine and Theo, but including why she called Chris Argent (Malia said she just called a random number due to panic after getting Braeden upstairs, afraid Corrine and Theo killer was going to come back), why they were at the McCall house (because Stiles was going to pick them up there) and why Theo was there (he was working with Corrine and spied on them for her), she let Malia go.

Henry Tate, who had been called into the station, took his adoptive daughter home. He was secretly glad that the person who caused his family's deaths was dead. After blaming coyotes for so many years... The man shook his head at that thought. It was all in the past now.

Break

Sheriff Noah Stilinski stared at his son's body in the morgue at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital after he asked Melissa to leave him alone before he broke down and cried, hugging Stiles' body. He felt so alone. So, so alone, and broken. When the call came in and he heard it, he decided to take it since he knew whatever was happening at the McCall house was bound to have some supernatural elements and Jordan had something to handle.

But he arrived to a sight he wished was not real. The Stilinski didn't remember anything after he laid his eyes on Stiles' body. Nothing. All he saw was his son's still body with a bullet hole between his eyes. The other bodies? Noah never saw them. That's why when his tears dried, he only had one goal in mind; finding the person who killed his son, and kill them.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the human saw Scott enter the morgue and was immediately on him. The true alpha wasn't surprised when Noah Stilinski pushed him against the wall and demanded to know who killed Stiles.

He didn't refer to him as the sheriff because he knew the man before him was not the sheriff of Beacon County, but a father, Stiles' father. Stiles who died at his house. A single tear fell down Scott's cheek at that thought.

"I killed her." Confessed Scott, without emotion, shocking Noah enough that he let go of the boy.

"You, you what?" He asked in disbelief, backing away from the McCall until his back hit the table Stiles' body was on.

"I killed her. I arrived at the house, found Braeden unconscious in a pool of her own blood and Corrine about to kill Malia, so I killed her instead." Explained the boy, moving over to where he smelled Corrine's body and unveiled it for the Stilinski to see. "Lydia sensed Stiles' death not long after we defeated the beast, Sebastien.

I... I didn't take the revelation well and went to my house with two purposes; making sure Malia and Braeden were alright, and killing Stiles' killer, and I did."

A part of Noah felt a little satisfied, seeing the woman who killed his son dead, while a bigger part felt empty and lost, without purpose. Just moments before Scott arrived, he had fixed and focused his grief into anger and motivation to find Stiles' killer, but now... The human couldn't even bother asking about the torn flesh on the body's shoulder and the throat. It was clear as day that sharp teeth were used.

The McCall Pack alpha covered Corrine's body and went with Noah to Stiles' body. He was glad he got to cry earlier, or else Noah's grief would have suffocated him. As much as sensing chemo-signals was an advantage, it could be a disadvantage in circumstances like these. Scott sensed every single one of the Stilinski's emotions as if they were his own and none of those emotions were positive.

As much as the man tried to put on a strong front, it was clear as a cloudless sky that he was crumbling. So, the alpha pulled his late best friend's grieving father into a hug. For an alpha was a pillar of strength and comfort, guidance and support, and a whole other things, responsibilities that came with the status and power.

Noah was surprised at first, but welcomed the gesture and soon found himself crying once again.

Break

"What is it, Melissa?" Asked Chris.

After giving his statement he followed the ambulance carrying Braeden to watch over her and make sure when she woke up her story would correspond with Malia's. He asked the question because Melissa just came out of Braeden's room swearing.

"Braeden is a universal donor and the hospital in short on her blood type. The resupply will arrive tomorrow." Said the nurse.

Chris tilted his head to the side for a moment.

"Isn't Scott also a universal donor?" He asked.

Melissa paused at that, before narrowing her eyes on the man.

"How do you know that?" She questioned in turn.

"I, uh... The high school was under my family's control for a while and I read his medical file." The Argent answered awkwardly.

He wasn't about to tell the woman that he looked into Scott McCall from the moment he identified him as an enemy with the "know thy enemy" mindset.

"Oh, you mean the time when your psychopathic father ran the school?" Commented Melissa.

"Mom, how's Braeden?" Asked Scott, saving Chris from replying.

The nurse completely forgot about her question to the man and gave her son her full attention. Stiles' death made her realize just how much she appreciated her only son and child.

"She just came out of surgery and is stable, but the hospital is short on her blood type, so..." She replied.

"So...?" Inquired Scott, not getting where his mother was going, causing her to sigh.

"You're a universal donor, remember?" Melissa pointed out.

"Right..." Said the alpha, and asked where he could donate for Braeden and left to do just that, feeling emotionally exhausted.

Melissa looked on as her son walked away, she could tell that everything that's happened tonight hit him hard. He gave her a summary of what happened, including Malia's side, and she was more than a little surprised. Scott had to confess how he killed Corrine in order for Melissa to cover her blood loss.

She didn't know how to take the news that he was now a werewolf with a blood fetish and that he's killed and didn't seem too bothered about it, well, apart from the shame of telling her. Melissa knew that sooner or later, Scott would kill even if he didn't want to.

As much as he survived without killing his enemies in the past, she realized that there would come a time he would have to kill. Simple logic, really, and that logic was given weight when Liam tried to kill her son and Theo succeeded. But she couldn't just come out and tell Scott that he had to do anything and everything to live, even kill the scumbags that come after him.

All the true alpha's mother wanted was for her son to live, but he had to find his own way of doing things. All she could do was offer her advise and support. Though killing the beast and Corrine didn't really bother Scott, the nurse knew Stiles' death hit him hard and had a massive impact on him and she suspected it contributed to his indifference to killing the desert wolf. She just hoped he...

"He'll be alright." Said Chris, interrupting Melissa's thoughts with a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be alright."

She turned to him with a question. "How do you know?"

"I don't, but that boy is full of surprises. I've learned nothing can really keep him down, he always finds a way." Responded the hunter.

Melissa looked him in the eyes for a long moment, making Chris feel uncomfortable. She just realized that...

"It's been a year, hasn't it?" The Argent nodded, closing his eyes.

He felt the woman pull him into Braeden's room, causing him to open his eyes, and was surprised when she gave him a hug.

"We all need a shoulder to cry on, Chris, even you." She said, in reply to Chris' surprise.

Break

"Um, Dr Geyer, is Liam home yet or at Mason's?" Scott asked Liam's step father on his way back to Braeden's room, a blood bag containing his blood in a medical bag.

He wanted to check in on his remaining pack mates, but since his phone was still in the tunnels and he was at the hospital, the McCall sought the man out for an update on his beta's location so that he could check on him when he went to get his phone. He knew there was no way the doctor didn't check on Liam, not after finding out about Stiles' death.

"He's at home with Mason." Replied Dr Geyer, and before he could say more, a nurse called him.

Scott thank the man before he left for Braeden's room, but paused when he saw Noah heading for the elevator before approaching him.

"Are you going to be alright driving yourself or do you need me to..."

"It's alright, Scott. I'll drive myself." Replied the Stilinski, patting Scott in the shoulder and entered the elevator.

The boy nodded before resuming his course. He found Melissa and Chris in Braeden's hospital room and gave the medical bag to his mother. While she switched the almost empty blood bag with Scott's, the true alpha went outside with the male human.

"I have to go to the tunnels to get my phone, so if anything happens..."

"I'll inform you." Said Chris.

The boy thanked him before heading out with the Argent taking a sit outside the room. After Melissa changed the blood bag, she waited a few minutes before checking Braeden's vitals to see how she was responding to Scott's blood and was surprised by what she found. She quickly called Chris in.

Break

"Scott, come to the clinic as soon as you get this." Said Alan, leaving a voicemail for Scott.

"Are you sure Stiles is dead?" Asked Hayden, laying on the exam table in the examination room after Dr Deaton stabilized her wounds.

"Although a banshee's predictions don't always happen, there is only one other time I heard Lydia scream someone's name like that." Replied the vet.

"Whose?" Inquired the girl.

Break

Scott passed by Liam's house and was satisfied to see that Mason was alright with no side effects from Sebastien possessing him. The dread doctors didn't make him a chimera, they just corrupted him with Sebastien's spirit. Thinking about that brought forth a memory of how they found Mason connected to what Theo said was an alpha werewolf's tank, a very old one at that.

When Scott left his beta's house, he kept on thinking about that. There was something that kept on nagging him and it wouldn't go away. His death and resurrection, and there was only one person who could answer his questions. Peter Hale. Usually, alphas lost their alpha spark upon dying, but the true alpha didn't, although his abilities were severely impaired upon his resurrection, just like Peter's, until he got his pack back.

That made Scott think that the resurrection took a lot of power from the werewolf being resurrected, and in his case, it took more than usual even on a super moon because he wasn't revived by a banshee and another alpha's power, that's why he was so weak upon his resurrection and needed his pack for the symbiotic bond and benefits to regain his power and heal.

Just like Peter, who joined Derek's pack to regain his strength. Apart from those thoughts, the McCall couldn't help but realize that Theo revealed two of the dread doctors' theaters in Beacon Hills; the one in the tunnels and another in the preserve, both well hidden and in very special places. And one of them had... Scott came to a halt, thankful he was running and not driving.

One of the dread doctors had something that he could use to resurrect Stiles! The true alpha was about to change course for the preserve theater but stopped when he heard his phone ringing, having not realized that he was already in the tunnels. There was just something about his speed ever since he killed Sebastien. Everything actually.

When Scott was in the blood donation room, which wasn't that far from the hospital's blood bank, he found himself absentmindedly thinking of how he liked supernatural blood better than human. There was just that bit of spark behind supernatural blood. The he-wolf was a little disturbed by that thought, it made him sound like a vampire debating on which blood "flavor" tasted better.

Stiles would have probably said he was a vampire werewolf or something along those lines. That was the thought that sent Scott looking for Dr Geyer in the first place. To distract himself and check on his pack. Other than that, he had a vision of sorts when he brushed hands with the nurse who was conducting his blood donation process when she gave him the medical bag. It was weird, very weird.

That was the kind of stuff Lydia usually dealt with, not him, and he was certain he wasn't a male banshee, if there was such a thing. But back to the present, Scott got his phone back and saw a missed call and voicemail from Dr Deaton. Whenever the veterinarian called him, he knew it was something important, but he wanted to get the substance Theo used to resurrect the chimeras.

The "ordinary evil" said the dread doctors used the alpha werewolf in the tank to prolong their lives, not only that, but they also, somehow, used that very same werewolf in corrupting Mason and resurrecting Sebastien. With that in mind, Scott planned to resurrect Stiles like Theo did the chimeras.

He decided to use his new speed to get to the preserve theater, collect the substance and make sure the place was secured before going to the animal clinic. With how fast he was now, Scott was confident he would get everything done in a reasonable timeframe. He sent his mentor a text message that he would be there soon before he literally disappeared from the tunnels in seconds.

His destination? The preserve theater. Although Scott was like a very thin blur, running like the wind, he knew that he couldn't make sharp turns with the kind of speed he was running at, so he slowed down when he reached the woods, not wanting to hit a tree. It didn't take long to reached the theater, which he was going to refer to as theater1, and found the two dread doctors' bodies still there.

It didn't look like anyone had come to the place since Sebastien's resurrection, which was a good thing in Scott's opinion, and he was planning on keeping it that way. Well, except for himself and the soldier, even though he didn't know what to do with the guy.

But there was no way the young he-wolf was going to unleash a Nazi alpha werewolf soldier on the world, and that was if the man was even truly alive and would recover. Spending more than 65 years in a water tank, probably filled with other substances and possibly having been experimented on, was bound to have negative effects on the man. Physically, mentally and emotionally.

Looking at the figure in the water tank, Scott couldn't help but think of euthanasia. Mercy kill. And that was taking into consideration how Peter reacted after 6 years recovering from being burned alive. The he-wolf still remembered how it felt. Peter made sure of that by sharing his painful memories with him back when he was an alpha and trying to recruit him.

Scott knew how it felt to be a prisoner in your own body, and the soldier was exactly that and has been for more than 65 years. He didn't know the man, but he understood him a little. A more primal part of the McCall just wanted to kill the soldier for his power, and although he was tempted, the power he had was already driving him crazy with blood thirst and weird visions about people's lives.

That left Scott with 3 options; Liam, Malia and Chris. Kira, Lydia and Jordan couldn't gain anything from killing an alpha, same with Chris, although he would neutralize the soldier and his power. But the true alpha couldn't think about that right now, not when his mentor wanted him at the clinic. With that thought, Scott looked for what he needed.

It took him sometime since he didn't know what exactly he was looking for, but he did.

Break

After her father went to bed, Malia was left to her thoughts. Her mind kept replaying Stiles death over and over again, thinking of what she could have done to save him. Guilt was eating her even though she knew there was nothing she could have done. Corrine didn't waste anytime, she just shot and shot to kill.

The older she-coyote then took pleasure in taunting her daughter, shooting her now and then, for the pleasure of it. Malia hated her biological mother, she really did. She wondered if she was destined to become like her biological parents.

Peter killed his own niece to get her alpha spark, Corrine wanted to kill her own daughter to replenish her power and the Tate couldn't help but note that she killed her adoptive family, though they weren't blood they were still family. Malia expected to be hit with a heavy dose of guilt on top of the one she had concerning Stiles' death, but found that it was dull.

It was like she didn't blame herself as much as she did before, and was finally at the final stage of letting go. The stage that included forgiving herself and moving on. She felt as though all that was left was the survivor guilt surrounding Stiles' death, the death that was meant to be hers. That puzzled the girl, and now that she thought about it, ever since her talk with Scott, she felt lighter. Like what he said really got to her.

Thinking about that, Malia recalled what her alpha said before heading downstairs to meet Chris. She knew the alpha meant what he said, his scent said it all. The she-coyote wondered if his new ability to shift into a wolf form had something to do with his change of heart, not forgetting Scott's sudden blood thirst.

Malia had listened to him giving Chris a summary of what happened in the tunnels, and although the McCall left out the part that he licked Braeden's blood, he did inform the Argent on his sudden blood thirst including the manner he killed Corrine and extinguishing Jordan's flames. The Tate asked herself if Scott took the beast's power and killing tendencies like she took Theo's electric and kanima abilities.

The true alpha said that the chimera killed the last of his pack to get those abilities. But that wouldn't explain his pyrokinesis, and Malia didn't think the beast bothered to drink any of its victim's blood. It just killed and continued on its way.

Break

The first thing that crossed Chris' mind was... Vampire. Their blood was known to heal wounds when ingested and although Braeden didn't ingest Scott's, it was in her system, so it explained her being healed and recovered. This confused the hunter. The true alpha was displaying vampire characteristics although he was a werewolf, something unheard of.

Chris knew that hybrids existed, natural hybrids, not chimeras, but there were no vampire hybrids in existence because vampires were made, not born. Undead could not procreate.

"You have no idea how Scott's blood healed Braeden, don't you?" Asked Melissa, interrupting the hunter who was trying to make sense of the situation.

He shook his head in the negative.

"No, but I have a feeling this has something to do with his first kill and evolution. It's like killing Sebastien did something to Scott on a supernatural level and caused him to evolve not just into a wolf but also into some kind of vampire werewolf. There has never been a recording of a vampire and werewolf hybrid..."

"Apart from the original hybrid." Interjected Braeden, startling Chris and Melissa, with the former almost pulling out his gun.

When the mercenary's words sank in, the hunter's eyes widened at what she was implying.

"The original hybrid?" Inquired the nurse, after calming down.

She wasn't going to ask when the young woman woke up when there were more pressing issues at hand, although she did give her a glass of water.

"One of the first and oldest vampires in the world, and the only vampire and werewolf hybrid in existence." Informed a fully recovered Braeden, after taking a sip of the water, sitting up on the hospital bed.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's not my place to say, but she was a very important member of Scott's pack." Said Alan, answering Hayden's question.

It didn't take long for him to get a text message from Scott, saying that he would be there soon. The druid turned to the girl and asked.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Hayden? There is no guarantee that you'll keep all of your abilities if Scott agrees to give you the bite, and you'll be affected by supernatural laws." The werejaguar and werewolf chimera nodded.

"I'm sure." Hayden thought of how her older sister reacted after she disappeared for 3 days, not knowing that she was dead.

The girl didn't want to leave Valerie all alone, they were all they had, so she was sure this was what she wanted.

"Doc!" Called Scott, a few minutes later.

Alan left Hayden to open the mountain ash gate leading to the back. He greeted his protege, and allowed him inside. When the true alpha asked what was wrong, Alan just led him to Hayden, and the moment he walked in the room, the scent of blood hit him. The vet narrowed his eyes on Scott when he saw him take a moment to calm himself. He thought he saw dark veins under the boy's eyes but they receded.

"What's happened?" Asked the boy, after getting his blood thirst in control.

It had been a while since he feed on Corrine.

"Hayden was wounded by the beast, and being that she's a chimera, I'm not sure if she can heal." Replied Alan.

It only took the McCall a moment to catch on and turned to Hayden.

"You want the bite." He guessed and she nodded her confirmation. "I don't know if it'll work."

"What do you mean?" Inquired the veterinarian, eyebrow raised.

The true alpha revealed the night's events, trying to give more detail since his mentor was a man of knowledge and was likely to know something about what was happening to him. After Scott was done with his explanation, the druid only had one mystery solved, although it created more questions.

"You might not know this, Scott, but there are two kinds of werewolves; the original and the evolved." Began Dr Deaton. "Original werewolves are all born and can only shape-shift during the full moon, though their werewolf gene remains dormant until their first kill, and they only have one form, wolf form with yellow eyes, even the alphas.

Their transformations are known to not be so pleasant. Evolved werewolves emerged from them when original werewolves were being driven to extinction by vampires when they discovered a werewolf's bite was fatal to them..."

"Vampires are real?" Interrupted Hayden, very surprised.

"Yes, Hayden. More often than not, myths originated from something real and have some truths to them." Replied the doctor.

He noticed that Scott remained silent, probably thinking of what his situation meant for him, so he continued.

"The Hales are evolved werewolves, as are you, Scott, or so we thought. It seems like you're both, somehow, and that an alpha werewolf's bite can turn a dormant werewolf." The true alpha had arrived at that conclusion, but...

"That would mean I was born a werewolf, and at least one of my parents carries the gene." He said shaking his head. "I know for a fact my dad has killed, and he hasn't shown any knowledge of the supernatural. Not even after seeing an oni and it wounded him. This only leaves... My mom, but she didn't know anything about the existence of supernaturals until she saw me."

Silence reigned after that. Hayden didn't know anything about onis, a lot of things, actually, only what Theo revealed and the other chimeras.

"There is another option, you might have been changed by the Dread Doctors like they did with the chimeras in order to give the beast the body of the rarest of canine shape-shifters. It's actually the only reasonable conclusion since vampires can't procreate. Now, your graving for blood. Partially shift." Instructed Alan.

When Scott did, his fangs were still the same, just a bit longer, eyes a combination of black sclera and brighter red iris, and black blood vessels under his eyes. The druid and chimera didn't miss the predatory look the McCall gave them, but the former was impressed with the restrain the boy was displaying.

Newly turned vampires were not so restrained, and he was sure Scott could smell the blood in the room, especially Hayden's. It seemed like the young alpha's will was still strong, even after losing his best friend, but then again, he was thinking of resurrecting him.

"It seems like you're a vampire and werewolf hybrid... Actually, a tribrid, and in this case, something that should be impossible." Said Dr Deaton, after observing the transformation, receiving silent stares from the teenagers.

"Tribrid?" Asked Scott, tilting his head to the side and shifting back to human form.

"You said you extinguished Jordan's hellhound fire, suggesting you have pyrokinesis, and saw someone's life through touch, psychoscopy. I know of only one species with those combination of abilities, but psychoscopy is not common without a spell cast. Some witches are naturally gifted with it while others aren't." Explained the man.

Hayden was floored. Witches! But the true alpha was more than floored, he was stunned with his mind not processing anything at all. He almost dropped the syringe containing the substance he wanted to use to revive Stiles, which earned Dr Deaton's attention.

"About that." He said, pointing at the syringe, and followed with a question. "Do you remember what I said about the consequences of the surrogate sacrifice ritual and what happened afterwards?"

Scott's grip on the syringe tightened. Oh, he remembered, there was no way he wouldn't, not when he still felt the darkness and Stiles just died a year after Allison. It took Alan a moment to figure out his protege and employee's plan, and saw fit to warn him before it was took late.

"There will be consequences if it works and they resurrect, maybe worse than the previous ones." He warned, taking note of the McCall's guilt, shame and surprise when he said they instead of he.

It was no surprise to the druid that Scott still held himself accountable for Allison's death, and now possibly Stiles' as well. Burdens of a leader and caring friend were not easy to shoulder. Allison and Stiles were the first members of Scott's pack, before he even became an alpha.

The trio were the core of the McCall Pack before Lydia discovered and accepted her powers and joined them and their cause, so the man understood why Scott wanted to resurrect them. He was the only one left of the original trio that not only started his pack, but also underwent the surrogate sacrifice ritual.

It was that thought that made Alan signal Scott for a private moment outside and excused themselves to Hayden, who gave in to her curiosity and listened in on them. There was a lot she didn't know about Scott McCall and his inner circle, this was her chance to get a personal insight on Liam's alpha and... Doctor...?

When they got outside, Alan made his protege look him in the eye before he began.

"I know how it feels to lose your pack and loved ones, and I know the guilt of being the one who lives. There are a lot of what ifs that can never be, a lot of mistakes and regrets that can never be fixed but can be learned from. As much as you've lost Allison and Stiles, you're not alone, Scott.

You still have Lydia, Kira, Malia and Liam, not to mention your mother, the sheriff, Chris and I. You are not alone, you still have people who care and support you. Never forget that." Said the druid.

Tears fell down Scott's checks, taking in what his mentor said, inside the clinic and just now. It was hard accepting that Stiles was forever gone and he couldn't bring back Allison. Bringing back his first love had been on the true alpha's mind, although he tried not to think about it or get his hopes too high. Allison said that it was OK, but it wasn't. It wasn't OK that she was dead.

It wasn't OK that she comforted him when it was supposed to be him comforting her in her last moments, she still looked out for him even after her death! It wasn't OK that Stiles was dead too. Scott knew that there would be consequences and side effects if he succeeded in resurrecting Allison and Stiles even though they weren't chimeras, he also knew that he was more than likely to lose his alpha spark when he tried to take Allison's pain to heal her like Derek healed Cora.

He just... He just... Alan pulled his son figure in for a hug when the boy broke down and cried. It was his job as the boy's emissary to see to it that he was alright and got through difficult times. While the alpha was the pillar of the pack, the emissary was the alpha's. Hayden felt uncomfortable listening in any longer.

It felt like she was intruding on a very special and intimate moment between a father and a son. The way Dr Deaton spoke, the tone of his voice, it was like he was comforting and imparting a life lesson to his son. That was just one of the things the werejaguar werewolf chimera learned.

"Could you examine the substance?" Hayden heard Scott ask after sometime and the vet agree.

The two males reentered the clinic.

"Do you still want the bite Hayden?" Inquired the true alpha.

The girl affirmed.

Break

Nurse Melissa McCall was very grateful that when she arrived home the house was vacant of deputies and the forensic team. She had to clean up the place but before that, the woman wanted to get her son home before sunrise and tell him what she learned. Braeden and Chris told her the story of the first and previously thought to be the only vampire werewolf hybrid, Klaus.

While the mercenary came to know about the abnormality that was Klaus through her work for her own safety and security, the hunter just replied with "know thy enemy and know thy enemy's enemy." Gerard made sure his children took the saying very serious by leading by example, so Chris learned the history of vampires and the original vampires.

While Braeden and Chris didn't know if sunlight affected vampire werewolf chimera or hybrids the same way it did vampires, it didn't mean Melissa was taking any chances, even if the late scientists were responsible for turning her son into what he was and he wasn't affected by supernatural laws anymore. She wasn't taking any chances.

Break

Not long after Scott successfully turned Hayden into his beta, although she retained her werejaguar status as well as werewolf, making her a true werejaguar werewolf hybrid, he received a call from his mother telling him to get home. His mentor volunteered to take the Romero to her home, but not before warning the tribrid about the sun. On his way home, the true alpha had a lot on his mind.

The visit to Beacon Hills Animal Clinic revealed quite a lot of things that he had to come to terms with and gained his second bitten beta. Liam was going to be happy to have his girlfriend in the pack. That thought brought Scott to his own girlfriend and second love, Kira Yukimura. With everything that went on, he wasn't able to get a chance to talk with her, so he planned to visit her as soon as possible.

The druid told Scott that he would get him something that would protect him from the effects of the sun, so unless he visited Kira during the night, there was no other way. Well, if the kitsune didn't visit him first. When the true alpha was about halfway home, he passed by Deucalion's temporary apartment in town and decided to pay him a visit before going home. 

He didn't plan on keeping the demon in Beacon Hills and away from his home for much longer, not when the man helped him self-destruct the Chimera Pack and destroy what Theo wanted most. Deucalion opened his apartment door a moment before Scott could know. Having heard him coming.

"I was expecting you, Scott, but not this early." He said, allowing the boy in.

"Early?" Asked the true alpha, brows furrowed as he checked his the time and was surprised that it was around 5 in the morning. "Oh, I, uh, sorry to..."

"It's alright. I'll be leaving Beacon Hills soon, so it's good that you're here now. We have much to talk about." Interrupted the older alpha, leading the confused McCall to a couch.

Scott didn't know anything they had to talk about apart from him thanking the man and...

"How does it feel to be a tribrid?" Inquired Deucalion, absurdly conversationally.

It took a moment for the question to sink in, and when it did, the boy looked at the man with surprise, suspicion and caution.

"How did you know?" He asked in return.

"I wasn't sure, but I suspected that you finally evoked your birthright and broke the curse placed on you." Replied the demon wolf.

Scott blinked a few times, the older alpha's words echoing in his mind, especially the word birthright.

"I was just as surprised when she told me about your existence." Continued Deucalion.

"She?" Questioned the true alpha, finally voicing one of the questions in his mind.

"Let me tell you a story, Scott, and listen till the end. More than a year ago, I learned of Derek Hale's ascension to alpha status by killing his uncle from an informant of mine, but she also let me in on those who helped make that possible and among them, was Peter Hale's recently bitten rebellious beta. For a very steep price, she let me in on her coven's long term secret plans that involved said beta.

See, about 17 to 18 years ago, a very old and special vampire passing by turned the son of the leader of the Calix Witch Coven, Cheryl Calix, into a vampire before compelling him to expose himself to the sun which burned him to death, right before her eyes, in retaliation for her refusal to aid him. Cheryl didn't take that well and swore to avenge her son, so did her coven.

The vampire was one of the oldest and most powerful in the world, he was also very special, one of a kind with extremely few weaknesses they could exploit, so, they had to be creative. The grieving and vengeful mother didn't have a problem with that. Since the vampire used her child against her, she sought to do the same to him.

What the vampire didn't realize was that some of his blood spilled to the floor when he feed the boy his blood in order to turn him, giving the witches what they needed to exert their vengeance. Cheryl Calix's father sacrificed his magic, fertility and ultimately life to help his daughter and coven curse the vampire with a one-time fertility and procreation curse.

They kept a very close eye on said vampire until what they had been waiting for happened, he bedded and unknowingly impregnated a woman before he left Beacon Hills. After 9 months of a problematic pregnancy, the woman gave birth to a boy and named him after the doctor that helped deliver him.

Not knowing that that doctor was also a witch sent to make sure her child was born. The Calix Coven knew the boy would be quite special and powerful, and if left unchecked, a fatal mistake on their part, so they also sent the witch doctor to link his vampire side to his werewolf curse and weaken him to prevent him from killing prematurely.

The plan was to watch the boy grow up before setting things in motion when he reached his 18th birthday to push him into their guidance. Kidnapping and raising him themselves was not an option, they didn't want to develop emotional attachments with their instrument of their vengeance. But their plans were almost ruined when an alpha werewolf bit the boy and turned him into an evolved werewolf when he was 16 years old. Almost.

They paid closer attention to him after that, sending one of their own to keep constant watch of him, not knowing that she was my informant. When she told me about the boy's existence, I had to get him into my pack, especially when she reported that he had the potential to become a true alpha. I believe you know how the story ends, but I'll complete it.

Unfortunately, no, fortunately, I failed in my mission to recruit the special boy, but so did the Calix Coven because they were killed along with the doctor and my informant not so long ago by assassins hired by an unknown figure with the code name Benefactor. Do you understand what I meant by birthright now, Scott?

When you killed the beast of Gevaudan, you evoked your werewolf curse and broke the spells the Calix Coven placed on you at birth. I said you're a tribrid because the vampire was... Not was, he is no ordinary vampire. He's an illegitimate son of a stagnant (original) werewolf and a powerful witch who created the vampire race by turning her family into the very first and progenitors of all vampires before her death, the original vampires.

Vampires that cannot be killed by ordinary means, the only thing that can kill them is what made them; white oak tree wood and magic.

While he is only an original vampire werewolf hybrid, since he lost his witch spark when he became a vampire, he still has that witch spark in his DNA, which he passed on to you, and with your first kill, you unlocked the power the Calix Coven linked to your werewolf curse, making you a tribrid." Revealed Deucalion, ending his monologue.

Halfway through that revealing and life changing monologue, the man knew he was going to have to pay extra for the couch Scott damaged in order to keep himself in control and listen. The demon wolf was actually surprised and very impressed by the restrain the boy still showed even though he damaged the couch to maintain it.

He gave the tribrid sometime to digest what he said and stood up to make some tea. When Deucalion came back with two cups of tea, he found Scott still in the position he left him in, but his entry and placing a cup before him seemed to gain the boy's attention.

"Why? Why did you tell me?" Asked the true alpha, voice strangely calm, alarming the demon wolf.

It seemed more like the calm before the storm, so he motioned the boy to drink his tea first, which he reluctantly did. Scott was surprised to taste blood in his tea, and was even more surprised by how much he needed some, it actually calmed his body and cleared his mind after hours of holding in his blood thirst.

He thought Braeden's blood was the best thing he ever tasted, then Corrine's, but Deucalion's... The demon wolf alpha watched, a little fascinated by the black blood vessels under Scott's eyes and the change in the boy's wolf eyes which brightened even more when he opened them after taking a sip of the blood spiked tea, releasing a sigh of contentment. When he saw that the tribrid was calm, he replied.

"You should know by now just how devastating knowledge can be, especially in the hands of your enemies. Just think of how a person like Theo and Gerard would use what I just told you to their benefit. With the vast amount of people who would like to get on your biological father's good side and even more than that would love the opportunity to hurt him where it hurts the most, I thought it necessary that you become aware of your origin."

"Who is he?" Asked Scott.

A big part of him refused to believe the demon wolf, but just like Deucalion said, knowledge could be devastating.

"His full name is Niklaus Mikaelson, but most know and address his as Klaus. Although I referred to him as a vampire werewolf hybrid, his werewolf side has been suppressed to a very extreme level with a curse by his own mother with help from other witches for almost as long as he's been an original vampire and has been on a long term mission to have the curse removed.

There are a lot of stories about Klaus, some true, some false and others exaggerated, but what I've told you is what I learned from reliable sources who also say that he has spent all these centuries running from his original vampire stepfather with his half-siblings; Elijah, Kol and Rebekah." Replied Deucalion, before he took a sip of his own tea.

Life was much calmer after his pack disbanded, allowing him the time he needed to come to terms with his past and find a way forward. And although it wasn't easy, the alpha was glad he took the time to truly reflect and find himself again. Scott had a lot to think about, and with the sun soon to rise, he had to leave, plus his mother was waiting for him, but before that, he asked a few more questions.

In the end, there were more questions than answers and he hoped his mother would shed some light when he arrived home, although he dreaded the thought. The way Deucalion described Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson and his family... It didn't paint a good picture, not one bit. Whether the ancient man was his biological father or not, Scott wasn't encouraged to seek him out.

Break

"Where the hell have you been?" Asked Melissa, the moment Scott entered through the door.

She was just about done cleaning and the sun was going to rise soon, so the human was very worried. The true alpha tried to reply but nothing came out, he couldn't form a coherent thought. On his way home he had this mental list of questions he wanted to ask his mother, but now that he was before her...

Melissa raised an eyebrow when she saw Scott opening and closing his mouth with no words coming, but they didn't have time for that, so she led him to the dining room and sat him down before she told her son what happened at the hospital and what Chris and Braeden told her. It was the perfect moment for the boy to ask certain questions, but again, he couldn't.

He listened attentively and made the appropriate sounds and asked questions when expected.

"OK, what's wrong with you?" Questioned the nurse, a little annoyed.

"What's wrong with me?" Repeated Scott, confused.

"Don't give me that, Scott! It seems like I've been telling you what you already know. The only time you were surprised was when I brought up Klaus' name and it wasn't just surprise, but also suspicion. Now, out with it!" Replied Melissa, leaning forward with a look that said he better reply.

She was tired and stressed and whole lot of things. It wasn't easy seeing the body of the boy she practically saw grow up dead with a bullet hole in his head and learning that her son killed two people in one night and some ancient scientists might have experimented on him.

The tribrid was caught off guard, especially when he smelled his mother's chemo-signals and panicked, so he said the very first thing that came to mind.

"Is dad really my dad?" And immediately closes his mouth shut with a resounding snap.

He was stunned he asked that when he knew there were a lot of things he could have said, like that he went to his mentor for answers. Scott wasn't the only one who was stunned, so was Melissa. She wasn't expecting that at all.

"Wh-what?" Was all she could voice.

The alpha swallowed quite audibly, regretting ever opening his mouth.

"I, uh... Um..."

"Scott..."

"OK, mom!" Interrupted Scott, before he stood up and began to pace around. "I, uh, I met with Deucalion before coming home and he said..."

Once the first words were said, more followed. Melissa sat and listened as her son retold her a tale that brought up memories long forgotten. Although she didn't know about everything Scott said, there were some events she could recall, but not in detail since they happened almost two decades ago. The most prominent of those memories was the rough patch her marriage went through.

Sometime in their marriage and after Rafael made his first kill, he started abusing alcohol and it wasn't long before Melissa found out that he was cheating on her, frequently, although she didn't believe that initially when some people warned her. Seeing is believing. She confronted him about it and he stopped, or seemed to, anyway.

A few weeks later, the woman found out once again, she didn't even remember what or how she found out, but ultimately, she impulsively decided to return the favor and hurt Rafael as much as he hurt her. As luck would have it, it was a Friday night, so, things happened. Melissa hooked up with a stranger and regretted it the moment she calmed down to take things in, although she did enjoy herself in the moment. A guilty pleasure.

She confessed to Rafael, not being able to hold it in, her conscious didn't allow her a peace of mind and it was the one and only time she cheated on him. It was like a reality check for the McCall because not long after that, he stopped the cheating and drinking, although he relapsed on the latter a few years later.

Something happened while on duty that reminded him of his first kill and it hit him hard, it was what ultimately led to their fights that one day led to a drunk Rafael grabbing a younger Scott who pulled back and fell down the stairs, hit his head hard enough to dent the floor on his landing and lost consciousness for about 20 seconds, which caused Melissa to kick her then drunk of a husband out of the house and file for divorce.

The true alpha's mother also recalled the doctor that helped her through a difficult childbirth. Doctor Kaitlyn Schaar-Scott. She named Scott after her. There was a thunderstorm the day Scott was born, so Melissa's doctor couldn't make it but "fortunately" there was a doctor who stepped in and worked her magic. The nurse was just coming to realize that Dr Scott literally worked her magic, which meant that...

"Oh my God." Whispered Melissa, hands cupping her mouth, and although it was to herself, Scott's ears caught the whisper.

He immediately knew what it meant, especially when her chemo-signals reached him, causing the boy to slide down the floor, not knowing what to do. The citizens of Beacon Hills were just lucky there wasn't going to be another kanima and kanima master in town. When Deucalion told Scott the story, there was always a chance of it not being true, Melissa's reaction just destroyed that chance and she and Scott were now faced with a new reality.

She was sure she took steps to prevent falling pregnant after coming to her senses, but it seemed like they didn't work, although looking at her son, a bigger part of the mother was glad. Scott was her everything, how he was conceived didn't matter. He was her baby boy and she loved him and nothing was going to change that, it seemed like she needed to make sure he knew that very well.

Melissa could see a panic attack coming, and with his senses, emotions and everything else being enhance because of his recently activated tribrid status... Scott suddenly felt cool hands on each side of his face and something warmer leaning against his forehead before his mother's scent washed over him and he heard her steadily breathing.

A flashback to when he was younger and didn't remember where his inhaler was during an asthma attack passed through the boy's mind. His mother did the same thing she was doing right now to help him with a breathing exercise; hands on both sides of his face and her forehead on his. She didn't say anything but...

"Listen to me, honey." Softly. "Listen to my breathing."

Having her near and hearing her voice was enough to breakthrough and calm him down enough to follow her instructions and listen. Scott had asked Melissa if he was the reason Rafael moved out, because of his asthma, and if she too was going to leave after he calmed down got his breathing under control.

It broke her heart and she assured him that he wasn't the reason, nor was his asthma, Rafael just needed to work through some things and that she wasn't ever going to leave him, for she loved him as he was and nothing was...

"... Going to change that." Assured Melissa.

Break

Jordan breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally able to leave Lydia's bedroom. His supernatural nature conflicted with his human nature and nurture. Ever since coming into contact with Lydia Martin, the hellhound found himself drawn to her. It was maddening because she was a minor and student while he was a young adult and deputy to a sheriff.

How the hell was he supposed to explain something even he couldn't understand?! Well, it seemed like the Parrish asked that question too soon because the moment he reached the bottom of the stairs, he walked right into Natalie Martin who screamed her head off, throwing a hot cup of coffee at him. Thankfully, she wasn't a banshee.

Now that, was a blessing not only to the deputy, but also Beacon Hills High School students. With the thought out of the way, Jordan quickly caught the cup of coffee just moments after it left the Martin woman's hands before it could spill, although some of it got on his shirt but didn't really burn, shocking Lydia's mother even more.

"Who are... Parrish?! What are you doing here, especially this early in the morning?!" Interrogated Natalie, upon identifying the intruder in her home, obviously coming from upstairs.

Upstairs where the bedrooms were... Their bedrooms... Lydia's bedroom... Jordan saw the moment it hit the woman just where he came from and immediately went in before she could react first.

"Ma'am, it's not what you think. Or what it looks like."

"And what am I thinking? What does it look like to you?" Questioned the Martin, voice deceptively calm, hand on her hip.

You'd swear she wasn't in a morning gown, staring down a hellhound who was holding her cup of coffee.

"I asked him to stay, mom. I screamed Stiles' name last night and Jordan got a confirmation that he died, and no, we didn't have sex." Defended Lydia, voice soft, her presence surprising both her mother and the deputy.

She took the coffee from Jordan for herself, continuing to the kitchen to make some breakfast, even though she didn't feel like it, but medication on an empty stomach didn't make a good combination, especially in someone as reactive as she was to medication effects and it's side effects.

Jordan took Natalie's surprised state to his advantage and said his goodbyes to the Martin's before heading out. He had to run to his apartment since he didn't have his car with him, having driven Lydia's and Kira hers. He left his bag in Lydia's care, thankfully.

The banshee's mother snapped out of her moment of surprise and went to comfort her daughter, making a mental note to reprimand her and Jordan at another time. It wasn't long before Noah came to mind.


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning... Hayden, right?" Greeted Dr Geyer, having just arrived at home from work and found the girl about to knock on the front door.

Before she could reply, they heard a pair of footsteps hurrying for the door inside the house right before the door open and Liam swept his girlfriend off her feet with a very tight hug, knowing about Stiles, she hugged him back just as tightly.

The human was left to stand awkwardly and decided to enter the house since it didn't look like they had plans to separate, meeting and greeting Mason on his way in. Kids these days were just too... Open with their affection, so much so that they didn't even see and greet their stepfathers who just arrived home from work.

The Hewitt boy decided to leave the couple too, heading for his home, pulling his phone out to call Corey.

Break

Chris couldn't help but find the sight before him poetic. He just returned back to Argent Arms International Armory, having forgotten something and arrived to the sight of his father lying dead in a pool of black ooze with a bite on his shoulder. What the Argent found poetic was that the bite was exactly where Victoria's was and by the look of the sight, the older Argent died a painful death.

He wondered who could have given his late father the bite. There wasn't any signs of a struggle but Gerard's obvious threshing, so Chris asked himself if his father wanted the bite again or not. He must have known the yellow wolfsbane he ate would reject it. The thought of wolfsbane led the hunter to think of his younger sister Kate. The last time he saw her was after he shot her with a yellow wolfsbane bullet but let her go, not being able to kill his sister.

Helping Victoria commit suicide was hard enough, plain out killing Kate would have broken him and he knew it. No matter how much his younger sister was misguided and twisted by their father, the man couldn't kill her.

Chris pulled himself out of those thoughts to investigate the place but found no clue as to who bit Gerard except an alpha werewolf, and there were a few in Beacon Hills, with only 2 who had personal problems with the older Argent, Deucalion and Scott McCall. He doubted Scott had the time or mind to go after Gerard right now, and that left Deucalion.

Chris was more inclined to believe the demon wolf was responsible for killing his father, especially after Gerard shot him back in the tunnels. Having already severed all ties with his father, Christopher Argent had no desire to avenge Gerard Argent's death. 

Break

Kira watched as the sun rose, knowing that she had to leave town tomorrow and head back to the skinwalkers for her training. She knew she had to tell her friends, tell Scott, that she was leaving, but the girl didn't know how she was going to even begin.

"Kira, breakfast is ready!" Called out Noshiko, to her daughter who was seating on top of the roof.

"I'm coming, mom!" Responded Kira, sighing softly before jumping off the roof and landing gracefully on the ground.

She missed Beacon Hills already, but she had to do what was best for her, not for her mother, not for her father, not for her boyfriend and not for her friends, but for herself. Putting those she loved in harms way was the last thing the thunder kitsune wanted, no, it wasn't even the last thing because she didn't want to bring them harm, and blacking out only to find out that you killed someone was not a good experience.

Break

While Scott slept in his bedroom, Melissa looked around her house, taking in the bullet holes and broken furniture. She was glad she made a copy of her supernatural son's scholarship application and sent it ahead of time, just in case. The human was a very proud mother, there was a lot of difference between Scott's last semester of sophomore year and his first semester of senior year.

She was actually impressed that he was able to stay in an AP Biology class and keep all his grades up while facing all that he faced including losing confidence in himself, even though he still missed some classes... OK, a lot. The only question now was if he would be able to maintain that standard after his best friend died and they found out his paternal parentage, the nurse really hoped so.

Melissa was drawn to the front door when she heard a knock. Upon answering it, she was met with a nervous Yukimura and welcomed her in with a hug, asking how she was handling the whole thing. They talked for a little bit before the nurse informed the girl that Scott was sleeping upstairs.

Kira thanked Melissa and went to head on to her boyfriend's bedroom, but the woman stopped her, confusing the Yukimura.

"Um, something happened last night." Began the human. "Scott is no longer just a werewolf. He'll explain when he wakes up, but you need to know that he's a vampire too now and he might act..."

"Vampirish?" Supplied a surprised kitsune, although she recalled the true alpha's behavior in his new full wolf form just before Lydia screamed.

Melissa nodded, heading to the kitchen to retrieve a cooler box she forgot to give Scott, taken aback by how the girl didn't freak out about the revelation. It scared her how well the pack was conditioned at such a young age to deal with such revelations, situations and dangerous new things without even blinking.

When the tribrid's mother returned, she gave the cooler box to Kira, explaining that it contained some blood bags for Scott to keep his blood thirst in check, fortunately the hospital's blood bank was going to be restocked today, so her... "Acquired" items weren't going to have a negative impact there.

The Yukimura thanked Melissa once again before heading upstairs and paused when she saw his sleeping form, taking in the sight. The thunder kitsune liked moments like these, where she got to watch Scott sleeping, and since they slept at each others houses often, she got a chance to do that a lot.

Kira walked in, left the cooler box on the floor, took off her shoes and joined her sleeping boyfriend in bed, glad she wasn't wearing restraining and uncomfortable clothes to do just that. She smiled when Scott's arms enveloped and pulled her closer once she settled in, a tear running down her cheek. This was one of the things the kitsune was going to miss.

It took a lot for someone to hold you so dear even in their sleep that it felt beautifully natural, and to think she once thought foxes and wolves didn't really get along. Kira giggled when she heard and felt Scott breath her in before he sighed in content in his sleep, she couldn't help but think of just how much she loved Scott McCall.

Out there, just like that first chimera they encountered, Belasko, said, Scott was "the man who took down Deucalion and broke the Argents." He had "devoted fan(s)" and haters, but right here, in his arms, Kira knew him to be the boy who remembered her name and she loved, werewolf, vampire, flaws and all. Life just wasn't on their side right now.

That was the girl's last thought before she fell asleep in her boyfriend's warm embrace, knowing it was likely the last time.

Break

Noah woke up to someone knocking on his front door, and a look around told him it was morning. His first thought after that was to make sure Stiles went to school on time since the boy was prone to losing track of time, sometimes just not caring about it. But it didn't take the sheriff long to notice the full bottle of whiskey that was on the dining table with a glass besides it that he spent the whole night staring at, debating on whether to drown himself in it or not because...

Because Stiles was killed last night... And Scott killed his killer, which left Noah with nothing to do but mourn his son. The male human was brought back to the present when the knocking resumed, so he went to open it, back and neck stiff. He got quite a surprise when he saw Natalie Martin standing on his doorstep.

The woman felt a little nervous when Noah just opened the door and stood there looking surprised and confused, but she was Natalie Martin, so she just greeted the man and asked if he was going to let her in or keep her outside, Lydia took after her after all.

That seemed to knock some sense into the man, greeting back and welcoming her in. It felt strange to Noah, letting a woman into his house apart from Melissa McCall after so long, especially without Stiles there, it was very weird.

"I just came to check up on you." Said Natalie, placing a bag of home-cooked breakfast on the kitchen table where the sheriff led her.

She didn't ask how he was doing, Noah was grateful for that, she just began asking where the dishes were and started setting the table. The man was surprised by that, but excused himself so that he could take a shower and change clothes.

Noah took the whiskey bottle with him and when he passed by Stiles' bedroom, he passed, and decided to get rid of the temptation since he knew Stiles wouldn't have wanted him to drown himself in alcohol like he did after his wife's death.

Break

Braeden couldn't believe that her target for the last few years and the reason she got fired for obsessively hunting down was lying dead before her, and she wasn't even the one to pull the trigger. Well, there wasn't any trigger pulled since True Alpha McCall decided to rip Corrine's throat out, with his teeth, and suck her blood dry.

The mercenary shook her head, Derek was going to be very surprised by that. Killing the beast of Gevaudan and Stiles dying seemed to have enhanced and exposed the boy's more... Vicious side and whatever the dread doctors did to him just gave him all the tools he needed to be on par with the original hybrid if not outright surpass him.

Braeden wondered if Scott's viciousness was going to be a thing now or if it was just out of grief and sorrow and would disappear once he's calmed down. Braeden was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the door to the morgue open and turned to see Malia walk in.

"Ready to go?" Asked the augmented beta werecoyote, before her eyes landed on her biological mother's body and flashed back to when wolf-Scott...

"Malia." Interrupted Braeden, pulling the girl out of those thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just..."

"Wish you were the one to finish the job?" Supplied the mercenary, since it seemed like the shape-shifter couldn't find the words and that was her own wish.

Malia took a moment to think about that.

"No. I'm actually glad I didn't." She replied, surprising the older woman, but it was true. "I've already killed my adoptive mother, I don't need the blood of my biological mother on my hands too. Even if she deserves it."

"Well, I have to sign some paperwork before we leave." Informed the human, leading the girl out.

The hospital was releasing her on the assumption she was transferring to her medical center of choice to throw off suspicion. After recovering earlier on and revealing some things to Melissa, the mercenary called Malia and asked her to pick her up since her car was still at the McCall house, although Chris had Scott empty it of all the weapons that shouldn't be in her possession.

Since no arrest warrant was issued for her, Braeden was convinced the true alpha was successful, which was impressive. After signing the appropriate papers, Braeden and Malia left Beacon Hills Memories Hospital heading for Scott's house.

When they arrived, they found the front door locked with the blindfolds in place, giving the illusion that there was no one home though the beta heard two heartbeats in the house. They were steady, which meant their owners were asleep. Malia knew that the back door wasn't locked, but...

"Come on, let's use the rear door." Said Braeden, already changing direction, much to the girl's chagrin.

"Why do they have the blinds closed?" She asked to cover her discomfort.

"You're not the only one who got an upgrade last night." Replied the older woman, shrugging as she continued. "It's just that Scott's comes with terms and conditions, or at least we think so. Just be on guard."

She opened the door and together, the females entered. Malia raised an eyebrow at that, before she recalled what Scott told Chris last night, his blood thirst.

"So, the beast was also a vampire?" She inquired.

"We think the dread doctors did something to Scott that activated when he killed the beast, though it wouldn't surprise me if he inherited it's power when it died and enhanced his own." Replied Braeden, causing the Tate to gulp, glad her alpha wasn't an enemy.

"Malia, I'm coming down." She suddenly heard Scott say, just as they were about to go upstairs and informed her companion, changing her direction to the kitchen.

Break

Scott woke up the moment he heard the back door open, but was calmed down by the warm body in his arms with a scent he knew all too well and the voices that followed. He took a moment to just soak in Kira's presence and listened to her heart beating. It was far more calmer now than before she left, and that only told the tribrid one thing, but it didn't matter as long as she was alright.

He recalled a memory of when his mother helped him find a new anchor; himself, and told him "... You fall in love more than once..." and that it would happen again, and "maybe just as painful as the first time", Scott didn't really believe her. It was hard to when his first love was still in his heart and though she still was in a way to this day, the boy found hope in Kira Yukimura.

Where his relationship with Allison was intense and all consuming, his with Kira was much more... Calm and easy going. The thunder kitsune was actually the first person to not be initially freaked out or anything by his werewolf status and even asked to see his wolf form and caressed his face with such tenderness and awe in her eyes that took his breath away.

She was probably one of the most open-minded people he knew. What Scott didn't know was that he attacked Kira as a berserker under Kate Argent's control and she still fought to save his life and didn't even blame it on him, it was how she got her first tail after all.

The true alpha kissed his girlfriend's forehead and whispered an "I love you" before getting off the bed, covered Kira and looked for a shirt to wear then went to go downstairs, but not before lingering at the door to take her in and shifted his eyes to confirm something. He was met with the fox spirit looking back at him, calmly.

Shame washed over Scott in that moment. Kira never looked at him as though there was something wrong with him, and though she was having control issues, no, balance issues at the moment, the kitsune was still herself, nothing truly changed and he was only now realizing it. The fox spirit was Kira and Kira was the fox spirit, it was just a matter of finding balance and a new equilibrium.

"Take good care of her, OK?" Began Scott. "She is a part of you just as you are of her. It took me a while to figure that out and I am sorry for that. When I first saw you, you were like a protective armor around Kira. Fierce but calm, a guardian fox standing guard over her.

The dread doctors ruined that beautiful and natural harmony you two had in order to turn you against each other just as Theo did to all of us, but your evolution might actually work for the both of you. You don't have to tame one another, you just have to accept and work with each other as you did before.

You're individually capable in your own ways, but we both know a warrior without a heart is like a sword without purpose, being waved around like a child does a toy. Look at how the nogitsune turned out. Sometimes I wonder if it evolved so much that it became fully independent and consumed it's humanity, and if it was worth it.

I can't imagine losing a piece of myself for fool's gold being worth it. Take it from someone who has to live with a dark scar on his soul for the rest of his life. The only reason I still think it's worth enduring is seeing my mother alive and well. And it's because of her that I'm here.

When I hit rock bottom, she is always there to give me hope. Without her, I'd be lost. What I'm trying to say is, would consuming your humanity be worth it? Would consuming Kira be worth it? What is a guardian without a ward? Think about that, kitsune. A divided mind cannot reach it's full potential." With his part said, he turned to leave but the fox spirit pointed at something, a... Medical cooler box beside his bed.

The kitsune watched as the tribrid approach the box and thank her when he discovered the blood bags. Though the skinwalkers did something to give Kira more control for the time being, there was still a lot that needed to be done for the girl to truly learn how to navigate her powers, the spirit knew that.

Their forced evolution made them abnormally powerful, especially for a young single tailed kitsune. Power in exchange for control. It could either assist Kira or not, but after what the boy said... What was a guardian without a ward? A being like that dark kitsune which lived for nothing but its basic need and nature?

There was more to life than that, way more. The fox spirit didn't expect the boy to talk with it, especially so civil, unlike Noshiko who demanded for it to show itself, it's aura, to her. Now it was left with a decision to make. To help Kira regain control of their power and find new equilibrium, or continue fighting until it won or the girl tamed it.

Break 

"Who were you talking to?" Asked Malia, when Scott entered the kitchen.

"Kira's fox aura." He replied, before greeting the women and asking how they were, shifting focus.

"Thanks to your new status, I'm all healed up. Uh, Argent said that you have my car keys and equipment." Responded Braeden.

The true alpha affirmed and went to get the items, although he tensed thinking about his biological father.

"So... You're allergic to the sun now?" Inquired Malia, watching as the secret tribrid disappeared into another room.

"Deucalion thinks I might be immune." Answered Scott, loud enough for the mercenary to hear too.

"A vampire that's immune to sunlight?" Questioned the beta.

"I don't think Scott qualifies as a vampire or a werewolf anymore, Malia. Though he's a vampire and a werewolf, he's not exactly either of the two." Said the human, earning both the teenager's attention and questioning looks with the tribrid's return with her stuff. "What do you get when you mix a teabag, sugar, cream and hot water in a cup."

"Tea." Was the reply she got.

"Can you separate those ingredients from the tea afterwards?"

"Not really." Answered Kira, entering the kitchen and earning everyone's attention. "You'll be able to taste the ingredients in the tea but not separate them from the final product."

She completed before greeting everyone, taking a sit beside her boyfriend who smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Exactly! Scott being a vampire werewolf hybrid gets to enjoy the best of both worlds, possibly with less disadvantages. It seems like the dread doctors made you a little different compared to the other chimeras, Scott, since you had to kill to trigger your evolution and you were already supernatural." Said Braeden.

"Well..." Began Malia, turning to the true alpha and continued. "There's only one way to find out."

"I'm not the only one who gained new abilities last night." He countered, looking at her.

"I have Kira to teach me." Retorted the Tate.

"Teach you to do what exactly?" Asked the kitsune, the fact that she was leaving town soon was not far from her mind.

"How to use my new electric abilities." Replied the werecoyote, and managed to manifest a few electric sparks along her hand, earning everyone's interest.

"I told you I just have an aptitude for the things I can do, Malia." Responded Kira.

"Then teach me to cheat like you!" That got amused looks from Braeden and Scott.

"I can't even if I wanted to." Said the kitsune, getting a little down. "I, uh... Scott, could we talk?"

She requested, already getting up, a little anxious and the other shape-shifters picked up on it. Braeden chose to say her goodbyes and leave now since she was in good shape, got her stuff back and it looked like the Yukimura girl had something she wanted to discuss with her boyfriend, so, she bid farewell to the teenagers and left.

Malia was about to follow her lead when Kira asked her to stay a little before she and Scott went to his bedroom.

"You have to leave town." Said the boy, before the girl could say anything to make it easier, surprising her.

"How did you know?" She asked, seating on his chair.

Scott was thankful she didn't sit on the bed, that would have been too much.

"I didn't really realize it last night, but you felt guilty and resolved about something during the hug. When I woke up a few minutes ago, I saw and smelled your dried tears. The last clue was your aura. It's calmer now." Explained the true alpha, kneeling down before Kira and holding her hands in his. "How long is it going to take?"

A tear fell from the kitsune's cheek, serving as an invitation for more.

"I don't know. As long as it takes." Replied the Yukimura.

Scott just nodded his head.

"There's more. I have to leave tomorrow, and my parents are moving." She added, and felt the boy still.

The true alpha felt like Theo just buried his clawed hand deep in his gut once again when he heard that. He had been prepared when he and Allison broke up, believing they would end up together, but he was not prepared right now. Not even a little, and he knew better now.

"Scott." Whispered Kira.

Scott blinked a few times and cleared his throat before replying.

"I, um, it's OK. It's OK. As long as you'll be alright, it's OK." He said.

Break

Malia could definitely say that she didn't see this coming as she listened in on the shape-shifters upstairs, but at least Kira was going to get the help she needed to get her powers under control and not lose herself. The she-coyote decided to keep herself busy since she didn't want to eavesdrop on her friends and pack anymore.

She was saved by a knock on the front door and went to open it, only to come face to face with Lydia. It was the first time they saw each other since Stiles died and the Martin couldn't help but pull her friend in for a hug, grateful she was alive.

"Um, Lydia..." Began Malia, but the banshee shushed her.

"I'm just glad you're alive, Malia. What happened last night?" The Tate was touched and even more so that none of her friends were blaming her for her late former boyfriend's death since it was her mother who did it and she was around.

Assured with her friend's support, Malia laughed into the explanation of the events that took place at the McCall house, the house that has seen four people die in less than half a year with bullet holes to tell the tale.

Break

"Are you sure Scott isn't going to kill me this time around?" Questioned Corey, feeling nervous about going to the alpha's house after what happened last night.

"He wasn't a wolf when he came by Liam's last night, so I think you're safe." Assured Mason, driving to Scott's house with Corey, Hayden and Liam.

The he-wolf was about to retort when his girlfriend quickly distracted him with a kiss, which he happily welcomed. After Hayden arrived at the Dunbar's house and they ended their embrace, Liam felt his eyes respond to hers, identifying her as supernatural, unlike before, resulting in his confusion until she told him what happened last night on her side and they exchanged stories.

The boy was surprised, hearing that Sebastien attacked the Romero before they fought him, but was happy that she survived and Scott gave her the bite, very happy. They were going to see the true alpha to ask about the full moon since it was tomorrow and Hayden was recently bitten.

She wasn't affected by a lot of supernatural laws as a chimera, but now that she was supernatural in every sense of the word, she was, and the full moon was a big influence on every werewolf. When the four teenagers arrived the McCall house, they found Stiles, Kira, Malia and Lydia's cars outside, letting them know the pack was whole, except for the Stilinski.

Break

After Kira and Scott were done with their talk, they joined Lydia and Malia, with the kitsune announcing her pending departure and the tribrid telling them about his vampire status but not about his witch part. A few minutes later Malia and Scott heard 4 pairs of footsteps approaching the door, followed by a knock, the former forgetting about the effects of the sun on vampires, stood to answer the door.

Kira and Lydia were about to remind him when the Tate shook her head, she wanted to know whether sunlight affected her alpha or not. The girls peeked at the true alpha and watched in suspense as he opened the door and sunlight hit him head-on and...

Break

With the mystery of whether sunlight affected Scott or not answered, the pack spent the rest of the day at his house, with him apologizing to Corey for what he attempted to do last night, making plans with Hayden for her first full moon and in honor of their fallen friend and pack mate, they watched...

Star Wars, every single one of the movies, even though the alpha still questioned the order. It was a first for him and bittersweet since he wasn't going to be able to tell his best friend that he finally watched the movies, and if anyone saw Scott let loose a tear while thinking about that and Kira wiped it away, none mentioned it, not when he wasn't the only one.

The older ones understood the emotion behind that, especially Malia since Stiles made sure she watched the movies. It hit home that he was gone, watching them again, but without him. They left the McCall house late, saying their heartfelt farewells to their departing thunder kitsune friend and pack mate, understanding why she wasn't able to stay until Stiles' funeral.

With everyone gone and left alone, Scott drove Stiles' car to his house, reminiscing about all they did with the car as their companion. To prolong his time with the car and his best friend's memories, the true alpha went to a fuel station to refill the vehicle before driving around town, mostly to memorable places for him and Stiles and bought their favorite fast food but didn't eat any.

Break

Noah was in his son's room, just sitting on the chair with the lights off when he heard the sound of Stiles' jeep drive up the driveway. For a moment, he thought it was him, but reality was a cruel thing, he knew it had to be Scott bringing the car. The Stilinski waited for the sound of the car door but none came though the engine died down.

He took that as a message that the shape-shifter wanted to spend sometime alone before relinquishing what the man knew was a physical emotional tether to Stiles just as Stiles' bedroom was for him. It wasn't until more than half an hour passed that he finally heard the the boy get out of the car and took that as his cue to also pick himself up and meet him halfway.

Scott took a deep breath before knocking on the front door, even though he heard Noah approaching and when the man opened it, he couldn't help but sample the air to check if...

"I'm not drunk, Scott." Stated the sheriff, having noticed, to the tribrid's embarrassment.

"I, uh, I was just..."

"I know. Trying to look out for me like Stiles would want you to." Interrupted the Stilinski.

Scott looked down for a moment before he brought up the plastic containing the food he bought with no intention of eating, eliciting an embarrassing reaction from the older man this time around when his stomach growled. Noah just realized that he was hungry when he heard his stomach growl, having only eaten once today when Natalie brought breakfast.

"Um, this is for you. I, uh, thought you might be hungry." Said Scott, passing the plastic to the Stilinski.

When Noah took it and entered back into house, the boy made to follow but was unable to, to his confusion until he remembered he was part vampire now, but it didn't make sense that he was about to enter his own house but not the Stilinski's.

"Um, Sheriff..."

"Come on in, Scott. I don't think I can eat all of this on my own." Said Noah, his back already to the alpha, not realizing what happened nor what he just did, inviting the boy in, to his relief, but that relief was short lived.

Scott knew his vampire status was going to get out soon enough, there was nothing he could do about that. So he resolved to tell his late best friend's father, but not about his parentage. He had to talk with his... Uh... Stepfather before anything else.

The true alpha decided to stick to the story that the dread doctors were responsible for the whole thing, his vampire and witch status. Only he, Melissa, Rafael and Deucalion would know the truth, although he was going to keep his witch side a secret for as long as possible while learning. The boy took a deep breath before entering the Stilinski house for the first time since Stiles died.


	5. Chapter 5

Bonnie Sheila Bennett-Hopkins couldn't believe it. After all the careful planning they did, Elijah Mikaelson decided to destroy their hard work, her hard work, and rescue his murderous half-brother Klaus, but that was not all. Sheriff Elizabeth "Liz" Forbes, also her vampire friend Caroline Forbes' mother, killed Jeremy Gilbert while trying to kill Damon Salvatore.

The young witch tried and pleaded with the 100 dead witches from whom she gained the power to augment her own with to help resurrect Jeremy, but they refused, although they did mention Klaus' name concerning Damon's situation. It made Bonnie angry that the vampire was given a chance to live but not the first person to really show concern about the side effects of using her powers for her friends' benefit.

It just wasn't fair! If anyone deserved to die, it was Damon Salvatore, not Jeremy, but then again, nothing was ever fair for the girl. She was a witch supplemented with the power of other witches, 100 of them, but nothing was going her way. Well... At least Elena Gilbert was alive.

Although Bonnie was happy about that, she was still a little bitter about it, but she was a loyal friend if nothing else. The girl shook those thoughts off and wondered if Klaus would help Stefan Salvatore with healing the werewolf bite Tyler Lockwood gave Damon. She didn't think so, not after they tried to kill the original hybrid and his witch. That thought brought the Bennett to a halt. His witch...

Was that all they were to vampires? Their witches and magic fixers? Bonnie knew that her grandmother Sheila "Grams" Bennett wasn't a fan of helping vampires, she made that very clear and only helped because Bonnie asked her to. Lucy Bennett too washed her hands off vampire business and although she said that Bonnie was a good witch and that in the middle of it was where she belonged, the girl wasn't so sure about that.

Not when she was losing so much because of the whole vampire business, but now that Caroline was a vampire and Elena was all in for vampire drama, the Bennett didn't have any other choice but to help them. The witch just felt powerless even though she was channeling a lot of power. Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson was never going to be as weak as he had been during the ritual that unlocked his werewolf part nor was it likely he was ever going to allow himself to be that vulnerable again.

Elijah just destroyed any hope they had to keep Elena safe. For what? Bonnie didn't know. She didn't have the chance to find out since the original vampire just suddenly let go of a weakened Klaus' heart and left the place with him before she could react. If that wasn't enough, Damon failed to kill the witch that was helping the original hybrid.

The girl took a deep breath to calm herself, thinking about all that wasn't going to help. Bonnie mourned what could have been had Jeremy lived in the comfort of her house, alone, as usual.

Break

Greta Martin was not happy with Klaus helping the vampire that tried to kill her, not one bit, but since it was what the original vampire werewolf hybrid wanted, she kept her opinion to herself. She watched as the ancient hybrid gave Katherine Pierce, born Katerina Petrova, a vial that contained his blood that would cure Damon's fatal werewolf bite injury to deliver it to said vampire in exchange for Stefan serving him and Stefan breath a sigh of relief.

Things were going to be even more interesting from here on out and Greta couldn't wait. Niklaus could not help but feel like things were setting into place. Now that he was whole once again, he was going to enjoy his time in Mystic Falls a little bit, getting used to his werewolf side, and maybe rubbing his victory in the faces of those who tried to kill him.

OK, that wasn't a maybe, it was a definite. Not only did the Mystic Falls Gang kill one of his witches, Maddox, they also tried to kill another, Greta, and most of all, him! The man planned to return Stefan to his better self, right before their eyes, so that they could watch as their well behaved Stefan disappeared.

It was a pity Elena wasn't going to be present to witness the transformation, but at least Damon was. Aside from getting Stefan back to his side and as his wing man, the Mikaelson hoped his younger half sister Rebekah would forgive him more easily when he presented the Salvatore to her.

Now that Klaus was whole and had access to his werewolf side, he was more confident in himself to protect not only himself, but Rebekah and his other half siblings too from his stepfather and their father Mikael. Though since Elijah, Kol and Finn liked to cause more trouble than they were worth, the hybrid planned to keep them out of the game, especially Elijah for his betrayal.

The man couldn't help but entertain the idea of keeping Elijah out of the picture for as long as he's kept Finn, 9 centuries, plus, as he thought about how close Bonnie and Elijah were to killing him. He shook those thoughts from his mind and focused on the present and future. Elijah got what he deserved and wanted all along, and as far as Klaus was concerned, he neutralized a threat to his plans.

The hybrid had a lot of work to do, so he proceeded and gave a certain vampire instructions. Katherine was relieved when Klaus gave her permission to leave Alaric's apartment though she didn't show it, knowing that she wasn't coming back since she had vervain in her system, even if it burned like hell, protecting her from the man's compulsion to return.

While the hybrid instructed Stefan to drink more human blood in order to seal their deal, the female flashed out of the apartment, intent on getting the cure to Damon and leave town, but not before having a snack to celebrate her escape from Klaus once again. The Salvatore could survive a few minutes of agonizing pain and hallucinations.

Stefan resolved to live out his part of the deal, followed Klaus' instructions and gulped down another bag of blood. He didn't miss Greta's smug look in his direction. It seemed like she really did join the original hybrid on her own freewill and was taking great pleasure in his misfortune.

Well, he couldn't really blame her after Damon tried to kill her. Stefan was glad the witch didn't stay long before she excused herself. Klaus really knew how to pick his followers. Oh, if only he knew. 

Break

"Come on, you can handle it, Liam. I'm just scouting around town, I'll be back in a few hours." Said Scott, trying to calm down an anxious Liam.

"Why can't I just come with you then?" Questioned the beta.

They had just arrived in Mystic Falls for a week long lacrosse camp after Coach Bobby Finstock got in contact with an old friend of his in the town and set up a joint camp and game between Beacon Hills High School Lacrosse Team (Cyclones) and Mystic Falls High School Lacrosse Team (Timberwolves), with support from the schools.

Scott just wanted to see if this small town had any hidden secrets to it and he couldn't do that if Liam was with him, not if he wanted to keep his departure from the rooms secret from their coach, and...

"You're the captain now, Liam. You have to lead by example (Scott heard a little voice calling him on his hypocrisy but ignored it), and this is my last semester in high school. You're going to have to get used to leading others, taking up more responsibilities and being team captain without me around." Responded the true alpha, a hand on his beta's shoulder.

"Why did you give up your captaincy again?" Asked a deflated werewolf.

He really wanted to go out with his alpha in a new town to explore. With it being Scott, Malia and Lydia's last semester in high school, the boy couldn't help but want to hold on a little tighter to his alpha.

He grew more anxious with every passing day that he had to watch over Beacon Hills on his own, well, not really on his own since Jordan joined the pack, and he had Hayden, Mason and Corey, not to mention Melissa, Dr Deaton and if the situation called for it Chris and Sheriff Stilinski, and Scott promised to keep in contact, but still...

"I have to focus on my grades and graduation. I missed 38 classes last semester, Liam." Explained the tribrid.

The younger boy sighed.

"Yeah, but your grades didn't really suffer. I've seen them, even Psych and AP Biology!" He countered, though he knew it was a losing battle.

Scott smiled a little, remembering a time when he was unable to balance his not so normal life. He sat his beta on the bed in the bedroom they were sharing.

"Look, I need you here to keep an eye out, Liam. Not only to make sure Coach doesn't find out I'm not here, but to also look out for our teammates. Mystic Falls may be a small town, smaller than Beacon Hills, but with a name like that..."

"There could be something literally mystic about it. I get it. Mason said the same thing before we left." Completed Liam.

The true alpha smiled at that. Liam and Mason's friendship reminded him of his and Stiles.

"So did Lydia. Well, I'll be back." He said, patting the Dunbar on shoulder before heading out.

Since they arrived a little early, Coach Finstock gave them a few hours to rest from the long drive from Beacon Hills, so the tribrid knew he had some time before the lacrosse coach and Business teacher made rounds. Scott took the time to reflect on what happened the last few months as he walked around Mystic Falls.

Things calmed down since they defeated the beast, Corrine and Theo, giving the pack a much needed time to focus on being teenagers in high school with no major distractions or actively looking for trouble.

After Kira left Beacon Hills, the true alpha decided to take a break from dating, and so did Malia, but there seemed to be something going on between Lydia and Jordan that reminded the alpha of what Meredith told him about them being connected.

Apart from that, Scott chose Malia to kill the soldier and become an alpha, trained her, Hayden, Liam, and Corey while Jordon continued training Lydia and added Mason (Lydia also served as a mythology teacher to the 2 males being that she was an experienced member of the pack while Scott did the same to those he personally trained), got Dr Deaton to train him in witchcraft and explored more of his tribrid abilities and compelled everyone who was in the library and witnessed him transformed and most if not all of the human population of his school after the pack and Natalie picked up on a rather noticeable hostility and distrust from some of Beacon Hills High School students and staff towards the pack.

The last part took a lot of time to do but the McCall did it. McCall... Rafael McCall paid a visit a few days before the start of the second semester of Scott's senior year and he and Melissa had a talk concerning his status as the tribrid's father, which led to a surprising twist when the agent revealed that he knew he wasn't Scott's biological father.

Agent McCall revealed that he was sterile. It wasn't something he could muster the courage to tell Melissa about, especially when he found out that she was pregnant, knowing that the dates corresponded with her confession of cheating. Having wanted a child of his own but being physically unable to reproduce and loving his wife, the man welcomed raising a child that was not his by blood and kept what he knew to himself.

The revelation left Melissa speechless, but ultimately, all was out in the open between them and when Rafael had his talk with Scott, he laid a lot of the boy's doubts to rest, including an internal identify crisis, specifically concerning his last name. McCall. The true alpha decided to keep the surname instead of changing it to his mother's, Delgado, like he had been thinking but planned to add Delgado to McCall in time.

While Scott was busy reminiscing, a certain female vampire found a target in him. Katherine had been looking for a snack until she found one she liked, and she really liked what she saw. Young, attractive with a certain something about him. But she had a cure to deliver so a quick snack he was. Scott was pulled out of his thoughts when he noticed a rather attractive girl who seemed around his age walking straight towards him, a teasing smile on her face that match her confident walk.

Noticing that she had the boy's attention, Katherine locked eyes with him and initiated compulsion when she was closer.

"Follow me." She compelled, before walking to a nearby shadowed alley, never looking back, confident the boy would follow her.

The true alpha was caught off guard by that, it wasn't everyday that someone just walked up to him with all the confidence in the world, tell him to follow her and then just expect him to without question. Wait... It took Scott half a moment to realize that he just met a vampire for the first time and she tried to compel him.

He recovered very quickly after that, raising an eyebrow at the attempted compulsion. It was a little weird being a target of one, even if he wasn't affected, just witnessing the whole thing from a different perspective was quite an... Underwhelming experience. Scott debated on whether to follow her or not.

He could guess what she had in mind but quickly thought to use that to his advantage and learn more about Mystic Falls directly from a local supernatural resident, so he followed.

He was sure Stiles would be over himself with his actions as of late. Katherine didn't waste anytime when they arrived in the alley, she immediately went on the attack and had her intended target's back against the wall in no time before going straight for his throat, already transformed and anticipating the taste of precious liquid that was blood.

What she didn't expect was for Scott to twist out of the way before pushing her face into the wall that was behind him, hard enough to break her nose and cause a groan to escape from her lips, hands instinctively flying to the injured area.

The tribrid didn't waste any moment, he immediately turned the groaning Katherine around and pinned her against the same wall she had him pinned against, with his forearm to her throat to keep her in place and from screaming, before delivering a sharp knee to her gut to distract her from thinking of a way out.

The Pierce couldn't believe what was happening. She didn't expect for her target to react as he did, or to even have the strength to not only force the wind out of her undead lungs, but to also pin her. Her! When the not so ordinary boy looked her in the eyes, Katherine looked back at him, defiance and a little curiosity in her eyes.

"What the hell are you?" She asked, voice strained since there was a forearm on her throat, but information was always useful.

"Curious." Replied Scott, initiating his own compulsion.

If the vampire was surprised before, seeing the boy's iris contract and dilate like a vampire's when initiating compulsion sure did, but he knew that she was a vampire, so his obvious attempt to compel her didn't make sense.

Didn't he know that vampires couldn't compel each other, and that only original vampires could compel other vampires? Oh, Scott knew that very well, he spent a lot of time exploring who he was as a born tribrid and what he was capable of.

"Are there other vampires in town?" He asked, expecting a direct answer.

Katherine got her answer to whether the McCall knew about vampire compulsion limits when she felt an urge to answer him, but the attempted compulsion didn't take hold because of the vervain still in her system. She was very glad for that, until she realized what it meant; the boy wasn't an ordinary vampire, he was an original, meaning a Mikaelson...

A Mikaelson she didn't know about and was likely to be another Klaus and maybe worse, there had to be a reason why his existence was a mystery and Elijah and Klaus didn't inform him of their presence in Mystic Falls since it seemed like he didn't know, so...

"No. There are no other vampires in town." Responded the vampire, pretending to be under the compulsion since it was obvious she would have been if it wasn't for the vervain.

Too bad Scott picked up on her chemo-signals; the fear, anxiety, surprise, curiosity and lie. Katherine was a good liar, there was no doubt about that, but it was obvious to the true alpha that she wasn't used to dealing with werewolves, at least not the evolved kind though it wasn't her fault.

As far as the world was concerned, werewolves were not as populated as they once were after vampires went on a killing spree to decrease their numbers and that worked well in werewolves' advantage. The question now was how the vampire was able to resist the compulsion.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" He asked, protracting his claws on his free hand for mind melding.

The question surprised Katherine. She wasn't expecting it at all, but when Scott forced her head to the side and she felt something sharp about to pierce the back of her neck, the vampire's survival instinct kicked in and she did the only thing she knew would work and give her the chance to escape.

Just when the true alpha was about to initiate the mind melding ritual, he received a rather stunning knee between the legs that not only forced him to lose focus, but to also groan in pain and fall to his knees. Katherine took the opportunity she made for herself and pushed Scott away from her, feeling a little bit more confident once again, but not stupid.

She knew once he recovered he would be on the hunt for her, so she made to snap his neck and make a run for it but the male caught one of her wrists and pulled her down for a headbutt. The vampire was saved from the head blow when she slipped, freeing her wrist in the process.

She didn't waste the chance with trying to subdue the McCall this time around, she picked herself up as quickly as she could and ran out of the alley, a fatal mistake.

What Katherine didn't realize was that the vial of Klaus' blood fell from her person in the struggle, but most importantly, the wrist that was in Scott's grip was the same one she had her daylight bracelet on, and as much as her wrist was no longer in his grip, her daylight bracelet was.

It was with a terrible fate that the moment Katherine Pierce, born Katerina Petrova, got out of the shadowed alley and the sun bathed her in all its glory, she burned to death. She only got to scream for but a moment before her body turned to ashes right before the shocked true alpha's eyes.

The sound of approaching footsteps that followed, heading to the alley, pulled Scott out of his surprise very quickly. He could guess that though people didn't see the unknown vampire (to him) burn, they still heard her scream and were coming to investigate.

When the tribrid made to stand, he saw a vial of blood near him and felt the daylight bracelet in his hand, thinking quickly, he picked up the vial and shot out of the alley at his top speed, disappearing right before the investigating party came into view.

Break

With Katherine's death, Damon's life was lost as well. Elena Gilbert watched with tears running down her cheeks as Damon Salvatore took his last breath trying to tell her something. What? She didn't know. What she did know was that Stefan was going to be heartbroken on his return. If he returned.

After they tried to kill Klaus and almost succeeded, the girl just knew the man was bound to retaliate, that's what he did when Damon tried to stall his plans after all and her aunt Jenna Sommers paid the price. Elena felt like the world was against her, losing John, Jenna and Jeremy within days proved as much. She asked herself if it would be better if she just followed suit and died as well.

The girl picked herself up, intent on calling Stefan. She didn't want to be alone and he needed to know that his brother died.

Break

With Damon out of his hands and Jeremy's body taken care of, Alaric Saltzman was back at Mystic Grill, drowning himself in alcohol. He felt like he failed Jenna even worse by not being able to save Jeremy's life not long after her death. While the human drowned in his sorrow, Matthew "Matt" Donovan was busy working, taking orders and serving.

He thought about what he did, breaking up with Caroline, and although he didn't want to hurt her, he at least told her the truth. The boy had enough on his plate to be dealing with supernatural stuff, especially a supernatural girlfriend that was something that contributed to his sister's death. He couldn't handle that, and Jeremy's death just solidified his stand on distancing himself from vampires.

Matt knew that he did the right thing for himself, he had no one else to look out for him but himself and that's what he was doing. Raising a mother who was absent most of the time and an older sister who abused drugs plus working and taking care of the bills at an early age made one mature far beyond their years before they should.

Break

"I didn't know being an alpha was this much work. Why did I agree to become 1 in the first place?" Groaned Malia, falling on her front on Lydia's bed.

Coming from training the betas she was left with.

"Scott asked you to." Replied Lydia, pulling out her the notes they'll need for their study session.

"Well, he should have asked someone else." Huffed the she-coyote, rolling around and stretching her limbs.

"Like who? Only you, Liam, Hayden and maybe Corey could inherit an alpha's spark and the latter 3 still have a lot to learn and need to mature."

"Derek was an option. Derek said that they talk every now and then so Scott could have chosen him." Provided Malia.

"And not our local badass werecoyote? Not a chance. As close as Scott and Derek have become they weren't always like that especially when Derek was an alpha. Oddly enough the moment Derek gave up his alpha spark to save Cora, your female cousin, and became a beta again his relationship with Scott improved. A lot. If you ask me I'd say Derek is more a follower than a leader." Said Lydia.

"And I'm not?" Asked the alpha werecoyote, getting up as they settle to begin their study session.

"I think Scott chose you to be our second-in-command for a reason, Malia. Like you said, there were others he could have chosen to become an alpha and his official second-in-command but he chose you. Not Liam, not Derek and definitely none of the others but you."

"Yeah, and left me to babysit while he's on vacation." Was Malia's dry response to the banshee's amusement.

Break

"I've never seen anything like this." Said Nurse Melissa McCall looking at a sample of the green substance Scott brought from the preserve theater on a microscope at the hospital.

"I've studied it for weeks and there are elements that are beyond anything I've seen and others I have no idea how they work, that I can't identify. I get a feeling some of the properties are too micro to be visible on this microscope." She continued.

"My thoughts exactly. I found traces of werewolf and werelion hybrid DNA in it along with some other substances that work together with the DNA and enhances, regenerates and resurrects cells though it's basic structure should act as a poison. A supernatural poison." Added Dr Alan Deaton, handing Melissa a folder with his findings.

He approached the human with a sample after Scott brought him more of the substance to analyze.

"This could cure just about anything." Noted Melissa.

"It's powerful enough to resurrect a dead person, Melissa."

"Even humans?" At that question the druid went silent for a moment.

"I don't know. We know it can resurrect artificial supernatural humans, but a 100% human being? I really don't know. And if it's possible the consequences might be severe." He replied after a moment.

It was one of the reasons he advised the true alpha tribrid not to resurrect Stiles. Melissa wondered what her son had in mind with the results of the study he had them doing. He brought not only the green substance but also some of the substances the three ancient scientists used to make chimeras including the altered and advanced mercury for them to analyze and occasionally joined in the analysis.

Break

After escaping the alley Scott went to a park and took a moment to calm down. He didn't expect what happened to happen, especially not long after arriving in Mystic Falls. The true alpha quickly sent Liam a text message informing the beta of his findings that there were at least vampires in town and to be careful but most importantly to make sure none of their teammates stray.

He looked at the bracelet and vial of blood afterwards, thinking about their deceased owner, the girl he didn't know the name of and had her life cut short. Well, her undead life. Scott was glad that he didn't need sunlight protection thanks to his tribrid status, a fact they found out on the day Kira announced her departure.

The boy's heart ached a little at the thought of his second love, Kira Yukimura. Not wanting to dwell on that, the McCall considered the unknown vampire girl's possession and his failed compulsion on her. Though she attacked him with the intention of not only drinking his blood but also doing so without any consideration Scott still felt some guilt over her death, thinking about her loved once never knowing that she died and died by mistake.

Unlike Sebastien and Corrine, the true alpha couldn't truly identify the vampire girl as an enemy, how could he when he didn't even know her? According to Dr Deaton, some vampires preferred to use a method of 'catch and release' to feed; compelling humans, feeding on them without permission (blood rape) and compelling them to forget the whole thing before letting them go, so...

That might have been her method of living. Now, looking at the things in his possession, Scott had no use for the sunlight protection bracelet, the blood on the other hand? It made him question why the girl attacked him instead of drinking it in the first place, lessening his guilt over her death and adding the blood in the blood in the vial to his pocket flask.

He had his very own pocket flask, 2 of them, one containing Malia's blood and the other Melissa's. The tribrid didn't want to be dependent on blood, well, too dependent, so Alan advised him to acquire a personal pocket flask to measure his blood intakes and gradually reduce them.

To not disadvantage the patients at the hospital with stealing blood bags, Melissa volunteered to donate her blood to her son. That advanced to the pack volunteering to contribute too, though Scott donated his own to those without an accelerated healing factor; Melissa, Lydia, Mason.

With that method he was able to reduce his blood intake to a flask per week since he activated his tribrid status, but with some psychological assistance from Marin Morrell. She helped the true alpha to adjust psychologically, using the whole 'strong mind strong body' mindset. Quite a feat according to Chris. The second pocket flask was for reward and backup.

Marin came with the suggestion for Scott to reward himself at the end of each week, it made taking measured sips during the week worth it, a sort of incentive and it worked. The true alpha decided to leave the sunlight protection bracelet at the park while thinking about why the girl had vervain in her system, continuing his scouting mission with purpose this time around.

He knew there were vampires in Mystic Fall, possibly a vampire coven if not a few more, making the likeliness of there being werewolves in town rather low. After encountering a vampire, Scott now also had an idea of how they smelled and his next encounter with another would give him a solid scent to identify with vampires. 

Break

"That's enough, Stefan. I don't want you drowning in blood just yet." Instructed Klaus, right before Stefan's phone rang.

The original hybrid let the young male vampire answer it, he had what he wanted after all and soon his wingman would be back. Stefan didn't waste any time in wiping the blood on his hands on his pants so that he could answer his phone, his impatience to hear an update on his older brother's health causing him to not look at the caller ID, and when he did, he wished he didn't.

"Stef-Stefan, Damon, Damon is dead. He just died and I don't know what to do." Said Elena's voice, her sobs quite clear.

The Salvatore froze, her words echoing in his mind. Klaus narrowed his eyes at what he heard, he knew that Katerina wouldn't be a crying mess right now except if it was an act but it didn't sound like one. Far from it. The emotion in the voice sounded and felt real, too real to be false.

"The cure didn't work?" Asked a near broken Stefan, despair and loss starting to take a firm hold, forgetting Klaus' presence or the blood all over him.

"What cure, Stefan?" Elena asked back, solidifying the original hybrid's suspicion.

That was all Klaus needed to hear before he acted far quicker than Stefan could truly comprehend the situation because of being drunk in blood and what he just learned, breaking the Salvatore's neck before picking up the phone.

"Stefan?!"

"Sorry, love, Stefan is currently taking a nap. You know how human blood goes to his head. A pleasant surprise to hear from you, by the way, considering that you should be dead. You have 10 minutes to come to me, come alone and don't tell anyone, or I'll kill every single individual who may or may not know you're alive starting with Stefan and make you watch." Threatened the original hybrid before cutting off the connection.

He looked at Stefan's temporarily dead body.

"Seems like Katerina left Damon for dead, Stefan. And to think you were probably the ones who got her that vervain so that I wouldn't be able to compel her. Such is the way of life." He commented, having known all along that Katherine had vervain in her system.


	6. Chapter 6

Caroline didn't know how to address her mother or behave around her anymore, neither did Elizabeth "Liz" know how to behave around her vampire daughter, one of the monsters she has been trying to get rid of in order to keep Mystic Falls' human residents safe. Killing Jeremy wasn't her intention, Damon was her target but that bastard escaped.

"I don't want to be afraid of you, mom and I don't want you to be afraid of me. I'm still the same girl I was before." Said Caroline, interrupting her human mother's thoughts and trying to reach middle ground with her.

They were currently in the kitchen at their home on opposite sides of the table and quite tense.

"Do you know how many people have died since your kind arrived in Mystic Falls? Do you know how many of those were killed by vampires and how many more went missing and haven't been found because of vampires?" Inquired the sheriff, looking at what used to be her daughter with an accusing eyes that were justified when she saw Caroline look down, a little ashamed.

"Judging by your reaction, you do know and you've added your own body count. Not only have you taken over my daughter's body, you've also used it to commit your heinous acts against humanity and expect me to believe that you're her!" Stated an angry Liz, hand not far from her gun with vervained bullets.

Those words hit the young vampire hard, very hard. Her mother truly saw a monster in her place instead of her and that hurt, so much so that tears involuntarily fell down her cheeks. The human's resolve to kill the monster before her weakened a little as she got a very human reaction from Caroline, reminding her of a younger Caroline distraught and guilt-ridden over Caroline's father leaving them and thinking it was her fault.

"I am your daughter!" Screamed a distraught vampire. "Maybe I'm a monster, maybe I deserve to die for what I am and what I've done but I didn't choose to become what I am! I-I didn't. I didn't choose to become a vampire so that I could remember all the things Damon did to me and made me do and forget! I didn't choose to become a vampire so that my life could literally depend on blood and I didn't mean to be a disappointment of a daughter to you but I'm still me..." 

While Caroline continued, Liz didn't hear anymore of her daughter's cries after her comment about Damon Salvatore. Her maternal side kicked in full force and pushed aside everything else. The monster before her disappeared to be replaced by her only child and daughter, the most important person in her life and the reason she worked so hard.

All that was going through the Forbes matriarch was all the horrible things that could and probably has happened to Caroline without her knowing. Ever since Liz found out about Damon's vampire status she has been questioning everything about him, especially how he fooled everyone including her and got himself in a place of power he shouldn't have been able to acquire.

That just showed how little they all knew about vampires but that thought was for later, right now Liz the Mother was in the driving sit and she went to do what her maternal instincts told her to do.

"... I just want..." Caroline stopped short when she felt arms enclose around her and pull her into a warm embrace that she at first struggled against but ultimately gave in.

It was hard to fight against something you desired, especially when it came from someone whose opinion meant a lot to you and you cared about. So the girl gave in and broke down and cried in her mother's warm embrace after which she finally got a chance to say all that she kept bottled inside and with Liz's encouragement took it with both hands.

Break

"How was today's training?" Asked Liam, laying on his bed while talking with his girlfriend on the phone.

"Not bad. Malia took it easy today but she plans to have us go on a hunt next week." Replied Hayden, she too laying on her bed though with her books not far.

"Go on a hunt? A hunt for what?"

"She didn't say but she was super excited about it. She actually taught us a few hunting and tracking skills and she's good, like realy good." The girl answered her boyfriend's question, a little excited to try out her new skills.

Life as an actual supernatural and a member of the McCall Pack was a lot better than when she had Theo as an alpha. Since the symbiotic pack bond was activated the pack had a better hold over their control and the absence of enemies to fight gave everyone a chance to bond and just live.

Not needing medication for her transplant, Hayden was glad that her sister didn't need to buy her some anymore. Valerie was skeptical when her younger sister informed her that she didn't need the medication anymore. That led to a doctor's visit which proved as much, baffling the doctor and the deputy.

"Great. While you were out learning cool skills I was and am babysitting the team and on top of that I have to pay close attention to them in case a vampire tries to lure them like one already tried to lure and attack Scott." Whined Liam, being teem captain wasn't as fun as it was made out to be.

"What?! Is he OK? Are you OK? What happened?" Questioned a worried Hayden, sitting up.

The True Alpha's first bitten beta hadn't told her yet about the presence of vampires in Mystic Falls so her reaction was justified. He told her what Scott told him which wasn't much but to watch out for vampires in town and possibly more supernaturals.

Break

Overall, Scott concluded that Mystic Falls could pass off as a normal town. It was a lot like Beacon Hills with its own secret life although so far he hasn't identified more vampires or any other supernaturals. Just walking around and being in a town that was not his own felt a little refreshing to the True Alpha, even with what happened earlier.

It was like a taste of what's to come after high school, the unknown. With that thought in mind Scott decided to return to the motel Cyclones were staying at, satisfied for the time being. Halfway to his destination he saw Natalie Martin drive past him and that gave the alpha pause. She was supposed to be in Beacon Hills as the recently appointed Principal of Beacon Hills High School and not in Mystic Falls.

At that thought Scott caught sight of a raven he has been seeing for a while now but it always flew away everytime he tried to focus on it. It was strange because that started while he was in Beacon Hills and rebuilding his pack. The Tribrid didn't think much of it, until now.

Break

Elena thought about calling Alaric, Bonnie and Caroline to help her rescue Stefan on her way to Klaus but refrained from doing so. She knew just how ruthless the Original Hybrid was now and didn't want the last Salvatore to died so soon after his brother, and she didn't feel comfortable involving Caroline because Sheriff Forbes killed Jeremy.

The girl took a deep breath when she was before the door to the apartment that housed a her killer, preparing herself but Klaus wasn't one for patience so he opened the door with a rather pleased smile because she arrived just when Stefan resurrected.

"Come on in, love. You arrived just in time." He said, his voice that of a gentleman.

"Where's Stefan?" Demanded Elena, putting on a brave mask.

Being around not only her aunt's killer but also hers angered and unnerved the girl, not to mention the memories that came with seeing him.

"Elena!" Was Stefan's answer when he heard her voice, horror on his face as he thought about how she was going to see him but most importantly the danger she put herself in by being there.

"Stefan!" Called out the girl, passing by the Original Hybrid who was surprised to note that Elena was still human.

While the lovebirds fussed over each other Klaus thought about the only person who was capable of resurrecting the girl, Bonnie Bennett, there was no one else. He wondered what it took for the young witch to revive her human friend. There was always a price to pay after all.

"So... When were you going to tell me that the Doppelganger is alive, Stefan?" Questioned Klaus, cutting off Elena and Stefan's moment.

The vampire pulled the human behind him at the question, with Damon dead she was the only thing keeping him from coming suicide. That, and the desire to hunt down Katherine and make her pay for running away with the only thing that could save his brother.

"I was going to tell..."

"Really? I doubt it. What I find interesting is that it seems like my compulsion didn't work on Katerina, know anything about that, mate?" Interrupted the Original Hybrid, not missing how the boy positioned himself in front of Elena.

The question felt more like a kick to the gut to Stefan as he thought of how they, more so Damon, were responsible for giving Katherine vervain because that ultimately worked against them. The Salvatore couldn't think of anything to say so he kept quiet although the pained expression on his face said it all.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Exploded Klaus, and a moment later Stefan found himself gasping with the ancient man's hand in his chest holding his heart.

Elena couldn't help the scream that escaped from her mouth, horror in her eyes. She rushed to help Stefan but the look Klaus gave her and an increase in Stefan's pained groans stopped her in her tracks.

"Please, don't." She pleaded, tears in her eyes.

Klaus resisted the urge to smirk and maintained his mask of fury while tightening his hold on Stefan's heart.

"Why not?! He came to me begging for my help to save his worthless brother while conspiring with Katerina and now she's on the run once again! Why shouldn't I rip his heart out and feed it to him?!" He replied, murder in his eyes. 

Both the Gilbert and Salvatore knew that the Original Hybrid had no problem with following through and that made their situation worse, especially when neither couldn't really come up with a valid answer but Elena kept begging. She couldn't lose Stefan, she just couldn't.

"Alright, I'll spare Stefan just this once." Klaus finally said, hiding his satisfaction but he wasn't finished. "But only under a few conditions."

He added, internally pleased with himself.

Break

"You just saw my mom..."

"In Mystic Falls." Said Scott, completing Lydia's sentence over the phone.

"Yeah, that's impossible. She just came by to check on Malia and I." She replied.

"Then who did I just see? I'm pretty sure the woman I saw looked exactly like your mother."

"Maybe her evil twin?" Commented Malia, having been listening in.

"An evil twin?" Asked an incredulous banshee, looking over to the werecoyote while putting the call on loudspeaker.

"As in doppelganger and why not? I'm a werecoyote, Scott's an alpha werewolf and vampire hybrid and you're a banshee. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch if doppelgangers also exist." Defended the alphette.

"This isn't about that movie we were watching, is it?" Inquired an audibly amused Scott.

"Of course not! Why would you think that?" Was Malia's quick response.

A day before Cyclones hit the road to Mystic Falls the alpha and alphette spent sometime watching a few movies together at his house, one of which was about doppelgangers, and the latter was quite curious about the idea of doppelgangers.

"What movie are you talking about?" Asked Lydia.

"Don't worry about it. Worry about the fact that your mother has an evil twin that's coming after her, instead." Replied the werecoyote, pointing in the direction she could hear Natalie in.

"Since you have the bestiary, Lydia, could you send me the entry on doppelgangers, just in case." Said the Tribrid, wanting to at least be prepared.

"Sure." Replied the girl.

"Oh, and entries on ravens." Added Scott before cutting the call connection, arriving at the motel.

"Ravens?" Inquired Malia, giving her friend a questioning look.

"I have no idea what that's about." Responded the Martin, already getting the bestiary to search for the entries in question.

While both supernaturals focused on the bestiary, they didn't see two ravens watching them through the window.

Break

Just as with Lydia and Malia, two ravens were watching Corey and Mason settle down at the former's house without their notice.

"Do you think Malia will let me use my camouflage during next week's hunt?" Inquired the only surviving chimera, opening the fridge to get a jug of juice.

"I'm not sure. Since we're all going to hunt she might limit our advantages to make it more challenging and your disappearing act is totally an advantage." Replied the only human in the McCall Pack. "And like Scott said, it's a bad idea to rely on that ability."

Corey sighed in defeat at that. The True Alpha made a point to thoroughly train and help him explore more of his abilities but also advised the younger boy to limit using camouflage so that he didn't depend on it and to actually increase it's effectiveness, but sometimes the young chimera wished he could use that ability freely although he understood his alpha's point.

It was hard to disobey and not listen to Scott, anyway. There was just something about him that made you want to listen and follow his lead. After the Alpha of the McCall Pack apologized to Corey for mind raping and almost attacking him in the tunnels the Bryant started to see the person everyone saw in Scott.

Although Mason and Liam said that something changed in the McCall since Stiles' death, they also said that he was the same. Kind of a contradiction but the chimera sort of understood them. In just a few months Scott became someone Corey looked up to, he wasn't perfect but in someways he was more of a parent to the younger boy than his own parents and the pack his family.

Break

Elizabeth Forbes sat with Caroline and listened as she finally got the chance to express herself, her feelings and thoughts and took it. It sickened the woman to learn that the man she once trusted abused and took advantage of her daughter and acted as though he was a good person when he wasn't. While she wanted to kill Damon Salvatore before, it wasn't really personal, but now...

She wanted to torture him, slowly, before burying him alive with leeches for a few decades then kill him because it was personal now, very personal. Liz wasn't just angry at Damon though, she was also mad at all those who called themselves Caroline's friends but most of all, she was furious at herself.

She was supposed to be the town sheriff and it's protector but how could she be that if she couldn't even protect her own child? How could she be that when she could not see the signs and symptoms of a rape victim and survivor that she birthed and raised? Or just how deep Caroline's insecurities ran?

Those were a few of the questions that ran through the woman's mind even as she held on tight to the most important person in her life, her daughter. Caroline found that once she started talking she wasn't able to stop, she just couldn't and she couldn't stop crying either.

It felt freeing and cleansing voicing all that she's been through, even going way back to before Stefan and Damon Salvatore entered her life. Back to the origin of her insecurities, how her father William 'Bill' Forbes just up and left their family, which was one of the reasons for her competitiveness especially against Elena who had both parents raise her at the time.

Bringing all her insecurities to the surface and having her mother by her side like when she was but a little girl was therapeutic, far more so than shopping and everything she's done before in order to cope, it was refreshing. Knowing that said mother didn't blame her for getting taken advantage off, being physically and verbally abused, and sexually and psychologically raped and actually supporting her was more than Caroline could hope for.

It was one of her greatest fears and one of the reasons she suffered in silence after getting back the memories Damon the Rapist erased from her human life, especially when her friends and mostly Elena pushed it aside like it was nothing. The girl actually understood why Bonnie didn't like Damon and was happy each time she heard her stand up to the vampire and tell him off to his face.

That Bennett girl was probably the strongest girl Caroline knew even though the witch was just as insecure and scared of being abandoned as the vampire girl. They were the same but handled things differently. Having all those fears laid to rest was like a weight off Caroline's shoulders. She resolved to not abuse her ability to compel humans after being the victim if such an act.

While there loomed the fact that Elizabeth accidentally killed Jeremy, the Forbes duo took the time to be mother and daughter, something they haven't really spent much time investing in but would change after this.

Break

Greta Martin decided to take a friendly walk around Mystic Falls before going to the woods to relax surrounded by nature. She was all for the thrill of the moment but there was more to her than that and the town she was currently in had nice and quiet woods to meditate in. The young witch took the time to think about her father and brother's deaths.

She learned that Stefan and Damon Salvatore killed said father and Brother, respectively, and she planned to get her revenge on them, one way or another. Family was family and coven was coven even though she left them they were hers regardless, the tears that fell from her eyes as she entered the woods said as much.

Greta knew that Klaus had plans for Stefan but that didn't mean she couldn't make him pay, she just had to be creative about it.

Break

Tyler Lockwood thought about calling Caroline to talk about the possibilities of Stefan coming after him because of biting Damon. The young werewolf didn't really have a problem with Damon Salvatore dying a very slow and painful death, the vampire had it coming for being involved in killing his uncle after all, it was the likelihood of Stefan going after his mother in retaliation that worried him.

Tyler wished Jules was around to guide and help him navigate his werewolf abilities so that he could better protect his mother. He ended up not contacting Caroline but training instead. 

Break

Elena and Stefan left Alaric's apartment hand in hand and when they arrived at the Gilbert house, which was now just Elena's house since she was the only one of them alive, they found Alaric passed out on the couch with Jenna's framed picture in hand.

The two said their goodbyes since the vampire had to take care of his late brother's body before parting, with the girl getting Alaric a blanket and putting it over him before going to her bedroom to pour out her feelings and thoughts on paper, her diary. Elena really and truly hated Klaus Mikaelson, she really did.

Not only did he kill her and her aunt, he was currently kind of holding her hostage in order to secure Stefan's unquestionable obedience and submission to him, to get the Salvatore in line and keep him there. It wasn't a physical and visible hostage but it was definitely one without the potential of a rescue.

Break

After Elena and Stefan left Klaus went to the coffin storage he kept his half siblings in. Finn, Elijah, Kol and Rebekah. Of the four, he was closest to Rebekah but when she chose Stefan over him a few decades ago he did what he has never done to her before, dagger and put her in a coffin where she remained even now.

The longer the ancient man stood in the presence of his siblings coffins the more he thought about his decision to stay in Mystic Falls and build his power and army there. He's been but a ghost to most people for the last few years and the thought of coming out to the open was a little unnerving, especially when his paranoia was still present.

Klaus' ego and pride told him to carry on with his plans in Mystic Falls but one thousand years of experience and knowledge told him to leave the town and build his power elsewhere and then return when he's established. He knew hunting down a pack of werewolves wouldn't be a walk in the park, more so with Mikael still out there. How he loathed that man. 

Not only would it decrease the chances of his stepfather ruining everything again but it would keep the mystery and awe behind his name. Some people thought him fictional and that's how Klaus liked it. Their ignorance was his advantage. With those thoughts the Original Hybrid decided to go back to the shadows and build himself an army as he intended after getting used to his full power.

Break

Scott arrived just in time in his room at the motel, a few moments before Coach Finstock checked on them. The man looked at the supernatural boy for a long moment, as though he knew the McCall did something he wasn't supposed to do but couldn't prove it before retreating and continuing his task.

"So, did you find anymore vampires or supernaturals?" Asked Liam, looking at his alpha.

"No, but I'm positive there are more. Just be careful tomorrow at school." Replied the vampire, witch and werewolf tribrid, getting comfortable on the motel bed.

An arrangement was made for the members of Cyclones to attend Mystic Falls High School so that they were not academically left behind and on their last day there the two lacrosse teams were going to play a friendly game for the road.

"I totally forgot about that!" Groaned the beta, right before he facepalmed, eliciting a chuckle from the older boy.

Liam was more interested in the town's supernatural community and not school, that reminded Scott of someone, Stiles. His chuckle turned into a sad smile that he quickly hid.

The new generation of the McCall Pack occasionally reminded the True Alpha of the first and older generation, his generation and sometimes he would share a look with Lydia, reminiscing, while other times Malia would link their hands, having sensed her counterpart's state of mind. Scott often thought about Kira and wondered how she was doing, he missed her.

Thankfully his phone vibrated before he could dwell on that, a call from his mother.

"Hey, mom." Greeted the Delgado.

"Hey, honey. Have you arrived yet?" Replied Melissa.

She was a bit happy to have her son out of town for a little while, away from the stress that Beacon Hills rested on his young shoulders.

"Yes, a while ago. I actually sent you an SMS when I did, didn't you get it?"

"My phone was off. How's the town? Is it anything like Beacon Hills?"

"Uh, it has its own supernatural community. I've already met a vampire that tried to attack me and ended up accidentally losing her sunlight protection and died. It seems like masking my aura and scent makes other vampires see me as human." Answered Scott.

There was a pause.

"Are you alright?" The human finally asked, it seemed like her son wasn't going to get a break.

"I'm fine, mom... Are you?"

"I'm fine. (sigh) Just... Worried about you. Oh, um, Deaton and I were able to decode most of the GS after viewing and combining my research and his own but there are elements that are just beyond us, scientifically and supernaturally beyond our current knowledge." Replied Melissa, very proud of herself.

The GS was a rather advanced substance that she was quite sure many governments and scientists would do and give just about anything to acquire. Scott took a moment to appreciate just how awesome his mother was.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest." He responded, a little giddy.

"You'll take care of the rest?" Asked an incredulous Melissa.

Oh, she believed in her son, but he was still just a high school senior student, regardless of his supernatural status with limited knowledge of science and medicine. Liam too was a little incredulous. He knew his alpha was awesome but really...?

"I've been working on something since I discovered some invisible elements in the GS, even under a microscope, with my other eyes. I won't go into details but trust me, I have it covered. Just make sure I have an untouched sample of the GS when I return, mom." Assured the vampire, witch and werewolf tribrid.

While many would think Stiles was the brains to Scott's brawn that was actually not so. Stiles was smart, there was no denying that, but he didn't think his plans through like Scott did. More often than not the human acted without thinking things through or making a plan, something the alpha learned to do as a human to not be severely disadvantaged by his asthma.

Otherwise he wouldn't have been able to even be a bench-warmer in a violent sport like lacrosse, but it paid off, being underestimated that is, it always paid off. But in this case Scott has been invested in his classes including AP Biology class and ever since things calmed down in Beacon Hills he has developed a very good student and teacher relationship with Mrs Finch, his AP Biology teacher so...

Break

When Stefan arrived at his place he found Damon's body lying there, waiting for him to do the honors. He always knew that he and his older brother would never get a happy ending, not after what they have done in their supernatural lives, he knew. If he somehow did the vampire also knew that it wouldn't be because he deserved it.

Stefan pushed such thoughts away from his mind to take a quick shower and a change of clothes before making arrangements for Damon's body. He would have loved to hold a wake for his older brother but Damon never really bothered with developing any sort of relationship with Elena's friends or the locals and since Sheriff Forbes now knew about Damon's vampire status he didn't have a friend in the Town Council.

The Salvatore realized that aside from himself, only Elena and Alaric tolerated Damon enough to be somewhat friends although it was complicated when it came to the former. Stefan felt so alone in that moment, so very alone. His family was all but gone, well, apart from Zack's daughter but still, he felt alone.

He planned to visit Elena when he was done with what he had to do, hoping Klaus wouldn't call him in anytime soon because he would have to follow through, lest Elena suffer the consequences of his disobedience.

Break

That night all eight members of the McCall Pack slept with ravens watching them from afar, like every night ever since their alpha Scott McCall brought them back together. The lead raven, Raven1, has watched the True Alpha ever since it gained consciousness. It knew what he was, a tribrid; a werewolf, witch and vampire tribrid who has activated all three parts.

He was no longer just the man who took down Deucalion and broke the Argents, he was the man who did that and died after unknowingly poisoning and weakening himself with modified wolfsbane vapour to a level that gave his ungrateful bitten beta werewolf supercharged by the super full moon and just drooling with the desire to kill Scott a chance to kill him but only served to weaken him even further for a werecoyote-werewolf chimera to finish the job out of spite, only to be resurrected by his mother using the super full moon and CPR techniques almost twenty minutes after his death, it wasn't just over fifteen minutes.

Even weakened after his resurrection he single-handedly beat a pack of chimeras and proceeded to systemically destroyed it using Deucalion. He used Gerard Argent through Chris Argent to mine valuable knowledge in order to defeat the Dread Doctors and merge Jordan Parrish with his hellhound spirit Cerberus before killing the resurrected Beast of Gevaudan himself.

But that was not all, he also killed a professional assassin the Desert Wolf. True Alpha Scott McCall was more than a man, he was a living legend. Raven1 now knew that it was just a matter of time before he caught it, regardless of how well hidden it was he always found it, passively, but now it seemed like he was actively taking notice and acting.

It was just glad the human that pretended as though he was Scott's best and most loyal friend was dead, it had a chance to survive without that irritating boy by the name of M. 'Stiles' Stilinski.

Of all the members of the McCall Pack it has watched through the eyes of the other ravens the human boy was the most annoying and irritating of them all while he was alive and he wasn't the most loyal to the True Alpha, only Lydia Martin was and that's why the almost success chimera Theo Raeken took her out of the game completely.

Actually, not only Lydia but Kira Yukimura who would rather leave her love than be a danger to him no matter how much it hurt, and Mason Hewitt. That human boy never left the Tribrid's side after stopping Liam from killing him even after he died, he stayed there and tried to revive the alpha until Melissa McCall came.

It showed that the McCall was no longer just Liam's alpha but Mason's as well. He showed his resolve to stay at Scott's side instead of leaving with his long time best friend Liam who had just lost his first love. That was loyalty and devotion, not what the raven has seen from Stiles whose first act when he saw Scott after Theo eluded to Scott needing his help was to attack the alpha for something he had no control over, the human didn't even seem concerned by the McCall's wound, offhandedly saying that he would heal.

Why Melissa McCall didn't stand up for her son and defend him was a mystery to the raven, just as Stiles abandoning Malia when she offered him support and acceptance.

Aside from the True Alpha, only Mason, Kira and Lydia had Raven1's respect, not forgetting Malia Tate who was straight forward with the McCall during her mission to find and kill her biological mother and when she finally had what she sought at her fingertips she gave it all up to save Scott's mentor and father figure.

All that was loyalty and devotion to not only her alpha but to a friend as well, things the raven never really saw from his observation of Stiles Stilinski through the raven that was watching the human. While Raven1 was lost in hi-its thoughts he-it didn't see Scott looking at it with his alpha eyes through the window, finally getting a chance to focus on it.

But though he had his eyes on it it's eyes were not on his to initiate compulsion and being that animals were more aware of magic the Tribrid didn't want to risk discovery just yet so he settled for studying it and comparing it to the bestiary entries on ravens and crows amongst other bird entries Lydia sent.

It was the first time he was getting a chance to do that since the raven always flew away and he was not going to waste it.


	7. Chapter 7

A new day a new beginning, an energetic and light Caroline Forbes arrived at school on Monday morning, ready to take on the day with a smile on her face. She felt better than she has in a very long time and if the looks she was getting as she walked to her locker were anything to go by then she looked better too. Her talk with her mother turned out to be very good for her, for the both of them and their relationship.

The smile disappeared the moment the vampire saw the saddened look on Bonnie's face that the girl immediately painted upside down the second she caught the other girl's presence and happiness.

The two met halfway but before they could converse the whole hallway went silent, focusing on the group that just entered the building, led by two boys although the taller and older looking of the two was more in the lead while the shorter and younger was a step back and behind them was a small army of both girls and boys.

The vampire and witch were a bit confused since they didn't know who the students were but they couldn't deny they were quite quite a sight.

Tall, dark and handsome was what came to Bonnie's thoughts in the case of the older one wearing boots instead of sneakers like everyone else, and short, light and cute in the case of the younger one. But those were just innocent thoughts, they were definitely innocent thoughts.

Having not thought about Matt much ever since her talk with her mother Caroline found herself entertaining the idea of getting one of the two boys, preferably the older one. Liam fought hard to suppress a blush as he smelled all the chemo-signals that were flying wild from the students of Mystic Falls High School and heard the whispers begin.

It was starting over at a new school as the new kid but the kind of new kid that got the positive kind of attention from both females and males.

"Hi, could you show me where the admin office is?"

The boy heard his alpha greet and ask a random local student who happened to be a girl, and was quite sure a charming smile was on display.

"Um, uh, s-sure. Right this..."

"McCall! Stop flirting with the local students and get over here! What kind of example are you setting for the team?! Get to the office now and flirt later!" Interrupted Coach Bobby Finstock, appearing around a corner across from the hallway.

There was silence once again after that.

"Alright, coach." Said Scott, breaking the silence after a moment.

"That's my boy!" That caused the Beacon Hills High School students to laugh at the interaction, it made them feeling like they were back home.

They also knew that the chances of their former captain actually randomly flirting were almost nonexistent. The guy had girls and boys throwing themselves at him back home since Kira left but he politely turned them all down, though sometimes Malia did that for him but not so politely.

"Um, thanks." Said Scott, saying that to the local student he was talking to previously with his friendly smile back on.

She nodded in response and that was that, everything went back to normal.

"Oh, man. And I have to deal with coach for the next two years." Moaned Liam as they walked to the admin office.

"He's not that bad and you can handle it." Replied the Tribrid, patting his beta on the shoulder.

"Why don't you take a gap year and stick around to see for yourself?" Was the Dunbar's response.

"We talked about this already, Liam."

"If you don't want to be captain I won't mind taking over." Said Gwen, one of the females on the Cyclones lacrosse team, shrugging as she looked at Liam.

"Man up or I'm coming after your tittle. We haven't lost the state championship in five years and I'm not going to allow you to ruin our winning streak." She added, a challenge made clear.

"You heard the lady." Concluded Scott, knowing there was nothing more motivating than a rivalry, hopefully this one would be healthier than his own with Jackson. While that conversation was going on Bonnie and Caroline had their own.

"Why does it seem like we're the only ones who are surprised by the presence of unknown hot guys and a weird 'coach' in our school?" Asked the vampire after hearing some of the conversations around them.

The witch pointed to the notice board, seeing a post and heading to it. Taking note that it was the first time she was seeing it.

"Uh, apparently they are here for joint lacrosse practice for the week and will be attending classes with us. This note has actually been here for a while we just never took notice." She said, reading it over.

With what has been happening lately it wasn't a surprise that they never realized it and lacrosse wasn't a thing in Mystic Falls, football reigned supreme but they were cheerleaders and we're supposed to know these things, especially Caroline since she was the captain of Mystic Falls High School cheerleaders, the Lady Timberwolves.

"So, if I hook up with McCall it would only be for a week?" Voiced a thoughtful vampire.

"Caroline!"

"What? Matt broke up with me so I have the right to have a rebound fling with the hot new guy who will be in town for only a week. And you heard his interaction with his coach, he's not opposed to flirting with the local students." Was Caroline's retort before she paid a closer attention on her friend. "Are you alright, Bonnie?"

She asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm fine..."

"No, you're not and we're going to talk about it." Having seen the power of opening up the vampire was more than willing to help her friend.

They weren't that different after all and now that Caroline thought about it, Bonnie's father was out of town because of his work so he wasn't around most of the time which meant her friend really needed someone to talk to. The witch and the vampire got their books before heading to the first class of the week, History taught by Alaric Saltzman.

Break

Processing Jeremy Gilbert's death was a little complicated but as the station's sheriff Sheriff Forbes was able to process it. With Elena as a minor with no legal guardian the woman knew that it was just a matter of time before social services made contact.

She wondered how that would go and if another revealed vampire by the name Stefan Salvatore would do anything about it, what she did know though was that Damon Salvatore wasn't because she was going to take care of him.

Break

"You aren't going to school?" Asked Stefan, standing on the doorway of Elena's bedroom.

"School is the furthest thing from my mind right now." She replied, sinking deeper into her blankets.

"You know Bonnie and Caroline are going to be worried." Voice the man, noticing some discomfort in the girl at the mention of her friends, especially Caroline's name.

"Elena..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Stefan! I just... I just want to be left alone." Said the Gilbert, sniffling as everything that's happened sank in, the loss and the pain.

The vampire stood still for a moment, before replying.

"If that's what you want." He said, taking a step back.

"I'm sorry. I, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me here alone." Quickly retracted Elena, getting out of her bed to stop the vampire from leaving, grateful he didn't disappear using his super speed.

He too was grieving and he didn't need her doing what she did, pushing him away was not what she really wanted. The human hugged the Salvatore from behind, resting her head on his back.

"Don't go." She whispered.

Being unable to refuse Elena anything she wanted Stefan didn't go, he turned around in order for him to embrace her too and they both let their tears fall.

Break

"Where are Elena and Stefan?" Inquired Bonnie, after History class was over.

"They decided to take a few days off. Stefan went to Klaus for the cure for the werewolf bite Tyler gave Damon and though they made a deal Klaus gave it to Katherine to deliver it to Damon, expecting her to follow his orders but since Damon gave Katherine vervain so that Klaus couldn't compel her she ran away with it and Damon died.

Elena called Stefan to tell him about his brother's death and accidentally revealed herself to Klaus since Stefan. Long story short, Stefan is now Klaus' henchman and will continue to be until they catch Katherine then he'll have to serve another decade before being a free man." Revealed Alaric, shocking the girl who asked and Caroline who was there as well.

They were both secretly happy with Damon's demise, especially Caroline though she felt sorry for Stefan since he saved her from Damon and helped her adjust to being a vampire. The troubling news was that Katherine was out and about and that Stefan was now one of Klaus' henchmen.

The two girls didn't need to ask why Stefan would follow the Original Hybrid's orders since they knew how he retaliated, Jenna's death was evidence of just how murderous that man was.

"Wait, what about Elijah?" Questioned Caroline, realizing that Alaric never mentioned him.

"He tried to kill Klaus, what do you think?"

"What does that mean for me? I brought him to his knees and I would have killed him if Elijah hadn't jumped in." Asked a shaken Bonnie.

Klaus wasn't weakened by the ritual anymore, he was far more stronger now and just as ruthless with no known true weakness and that shook the girl, especially when Alaric didn't provide an answer. Yes, she was powerful with the power of a hundred witches at her beck and call but it would have killed her to kill him at his weakened state, what did that mean for her when he was at full power?

Bonnie excused herself and left Caroline and Alaric alone in the classroom, needing to be alone. She couldn't help but think about how the Original Hybrid killed Katherine's family for her defiance.

Though the girl wasn't as close to her father as she was to her grandmother and he was out of town most of the time she still loved him and he was the only family and parent she had left, she couldn't bare to lose him and live with the guilt. She just couldn't. Caroline tried to run after her friend but Alaric stopped her.

"Give her sometime." He said.

He knew that sometimes a person just needed some time to themselves before letting other people in.

Break

Scott checked on his schoolmates after the first class, seeing if they were alright and was satisfied to that indeed they were. Not one of them had a bite mark of traces of blood on their lips which pleased the boy. While he was conversing with his beta before the younger boy's next class someone bumped into the alpha before muttering a quick apology and continued on her way and by her scent she was in distress.

But there was something else about her scent that intrigued Scott, she smelled of... Magic.

"Scott." Called Liam, getting the attention of his alpha who was staring after the girl that just bumped into him.

The beta pointed at the True Alpha's feet where a phone laid with the screen up, showing the picture of the girl. Scott picked it up just as the bell for the next class rang and was glad he had a free period.

"Get to class, I'll give it to her." He said. Liam nodded before doing just that, wondering if the McCall found a new love interest.

It would be a weird sight, seeing the alpha with someone other than Kira even if it would be for a week.

Break

"What am I going to be doing alone here, Klaus?" Asked an annoyed Greta Martin after the Mikaelson told her that he was leaving town and that she was staying.

"Do whatever you want, love. Think of it as a vacation, only you'll just have to watch Bonnie Bennett for me and if Katerina comes back you already know what to do." Replied Klaus.

"What about Stefan Salvatore?"

"He knows the price of going against me. Don't worry about him, he already has his orders but do keep an eye on him too."

Break

Scott found the owner of the phone in an empty gymnasium, seating on the bleachers, seemingly too lost in thought to notice his presence. He debated going to the lost and found office to leave her phone there but ended up approaching her. Bonnie was lost in thought, thinking about a way she could keep her father safe from Klaus' retaliation.

"Hi." Said a male voice near her, startling the girl.

She quickly collected herself before turning to it and found 'McCall' standing at the bottom of the bleachers.

"Hi!" Returned the Bennett, painfully aware that she raised her voice unnecessarily. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, uh, you seemed distressed back in the hallway so..."

"So you decided to follow a girl you don't know just to check up on her because she seemed distressed?" Inquired Bonnie, a little incredulous.

That didn't happen quite often in her school or town for that matter, that was unless there was an ulterior motive. It was kind of sad to question other people's motives but after the whole thing with the Salvatores, Mikaelsons, Martins and all the others in between the girl's trust in people wasn't that great.

"Yeah... But when you say it like that it does sound a little weird." Said Scott, but before he could continue his phone vibrated and knowing that there was a chance it could be a matter of life and death he excused himself before answering.

"Are..."

"I'm bored." Was Malia's interruption and greeting.

"What?" Asked an incredulous True Alpha, having not expected that response but it wasn't the first time getting such a greeting from the girl.

"I said I'm bored and since it didn't take long for you to answer my call then I'm assuming you are too, so we can be bored together. Maybe I should have come with you." Responded the alpha werecoyote, causing the McCall to smile a bit.

"Maybe." He said, just before he overheard a voice call out the Tate by her surname, a voice the Tribrid identified as a teacher's.

"I've got to go, talk later." Said Malia before cutting the connection.

The smile remained until a clearing of a throat brought Scott back to the present.

"Oh, sorry. Where were we?" He asked.

"You were being weird." Responded Bonnie.

"No, I wasn't. Is trying to make sure someone is OK weird in this town? If so then this town is the weird one, not me." Retorted the True Alpha. 

The witch paused at that.

"OK, you might have a point but I'm alright." She said.

"If that's true then how come you haven't realized that you lost your phone?" Inquired the boy, causing the Bennett to check her pockets and indeed she didn't have her phone, looking up she found it in McCall's hand. "You dropped it when you bumped into me so I came to return it and make sure you that you're OK.."

He followed up, extending the hand that was holding the phone. Bonnie pause for a moment before standing up to collect her phone, having not realized that she lost it or that he was the one she bumped into.

"Thanks." She said, reaching for it.

The moment she touched it their hands came into contact and caused a mutual psychoscopy. Bonnie saw yellow, blue and red eyes amongst others before seeing a girl die in the arms of the boy before her, though he was younger then and so painfully vulnerable as he kissed the dead girl's forehead.

It was a bit too much to witness that and it was the first time she saw something that emotional when she touched someone.

Scott saw flying feathers, candles, fire, vampire eyes and beta yellow werewolf eyes before seeing a lot of women, witches came to mind, a hundred of them backing the girl although a moment later they all seemed to meet his eyes and recoiled with horror in theirs before the psychoscopy ended unusually violently, causing him a little headache that immediately disappeared but not before he saw the girl crying alone while hugging a teddy bear.

The witch and vampire, witch and werewolf tribrid immediately acted as though they didn't just experience psychoscopy when it ended, not knowing that it was a mutual experience.

"Um, thanks." Repeated Bonnie, once she had her phone in hand.

The True Alpha just nodded, still putting together what he saw just as she was.

"No problem. Are you OK, though?" He responded.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Well, if you need to talk..."

"What? To come and find you?" Asked the girl, a little playful.

"Uh, yeah." Was the boys reply.

"You don't even know my name while I might only know your surname." Retorted the Bennett.

"How do you know my surname... Oh, coach. Well, I'll officially introduce myself then. Hi, I'm Scott McCall, a senior from Beacon Hills High School." Introduced Scott, though his hands holding on the straps of his backpack.

He had a feeling whoever those witches were didn't like him at all, they actually seemed pretty terrified of him so he kept his distance. Bonnie smiled a little, though she too kept her hands to herself, she didn't want to witness the boy's loss again.

"Hi, I'm Bonnie Bennett-Hopkins, a junior from Mystic Falls High School." She responded in kind.

"That settles it. If you want to talk come find me." Said the True Alpha, starting to back away.

"Don't you think it might be better to exchange numbers instead of aimlessly looking for you?" Inquired the girl before the boy could leave.

The interaction served to distract her from the potential fallout of her attack on Klaus and the longer she spoke to the boy the more comfortable she was with his presence. She didn't know what the eyes she saw meant but he was like a breath of fresh air.

It wasn't a common thing for a total stranger to be genuinely concerned about someone, lest of all her. Usually boys got close to her in order to get closer to Caroline and Elena but Scott didn't know either of them and he seemed genuine in his offer, not asking for her numbers also helped, it showed he was just being friendly.

"Um, sure." Was the True Alpha's reply before they exchanged numbers then separated.

Though Scott was happy with making a friend he was also concerned with the witches that he saw during the psychoscopy. He was now sure that the scent of magic he picked up from Bonnie Bennett-Hopkins was because she was a witch who appeared to have an unusually large coven, large was actually an understatement.

It also seemed like she knew about the existence of vampires and if he had to guess trigger werewolves (original werewolves) too which meant there might be a pack in town. At that very conclusion the True Alpha was bumped into once again but this time the person was a male who had been running but instead of Scott being the one to fall it was the other boy who did and hit the floor a little hard.

Tyler Lockwood, who had been running to his second class of the day since he was late for it, suddenly found himself on the floor with a sharp pain exploding from his shoulder, the shoulder that hit the solid wall he just ran into. That thought brought into question why and how was it possible that he would run into a wall in the middle of the hallway, it was just impossible, unless...

The boy slowly looked up but instead of finding Stefan he found an extended hand held out to help him stand up though instead of acting up like he normally would, especially with his werewolf status triggered, the Lockwood found himself lowering his head in what he just knew was submission but not before his eyes involuntarily glowed beta/omega yellow though he didn't notice that fact.

The McCall couldn't believe that he was meeting another supernatural person, not even twenty-four hours after meeting his first vampire and not even ten minutes since meeting his first witch. He was just glad his experience and control prevented his eyes from visibly responding though it seemed like his alpha status was picked upon.

"Hey, are you alright?" Asked Scott, helping the boy up while secretly siphoning his pain to help him heal.

"Yeah. Damn, man! How much do you lift?" Responded Tyler, a little in disbelief that he was the one who hit the floor and not the other way around.

The disbelief caused the Tribrid to chuckle.

"Just enough to balance my speed, agility and reflexes, the rest is just the benefits of playing a violent and fast sport like lacrosse." Was his reply, patting the Lockwood's shoulder who surprised himself by not pulling away.

"Yeah, right." Retorted Tyler.

"Weren't you in a hurry to get somewhere?" Inquired the True Alpha, sure that the younger boy would heal just fine.

He too had a destination in mind, the school library. It took a moment for the Lockwood to recall that he still had a class to get to and quickly excused himself and carried on his way, a little puzzled about the ease with which he interacted with the lacrosse player he's never seen before. 

Break

While in class Lydia's mind drifted to the person Scott said looked exactly like her mother. She wondered what was the possibilities of her mother having a twin, not an evil twin (doppelganger) but a real twin sister that she was separated from at some point. The girl thought about asking her mother but chose to wait for an update from her fellow supernatural friend and alpha.

There could be more to the story and if her mother knew but kept it to herself the banshee wanted to have all the ammunition she could get before confronting Natalie since the woman seemed to avoid and ignore anything supernatural unless she couldn't. Lydia knew it would be better if she had something solid to base her questions on so she had to wait, for now.

The other thing on her mind was a certain hellhound but the name of Jordan Parrish. She didn't understand it but it seemed like their supernatural spirits were connected as Bearer and Harbinger of Death in more ways than one, and though they weren't dating there was no denying the chemistry between them, it was insane.

The only thing keeping them from acting on it was their age difference and Lydia was kind of glad. She was so over rushing into things and it helped that the others her age were also taking their time with their love lives though the banshee suspected there might be something in the future between Malia and Scott.

Those two were spending a lot of time together; studying, training, watching movies and sometimes series and hunting in the woods in their animal forms. Oh, once the werecoyote was able to shift into her coyote form at will she took it upon herself to teach the True Alpha how to be an animal and live as one, that included hunting.

Scott's more compassionate and caring nature for animals was suppressed by his predator instinct but from what Lydia heard from Malia, the boy made sure to not draw out his prey's suffering. He worked hard to perfect his kill techniques to the point that his chosen prey didn't suffer too much. The Tate girl was quite proud of herself for introducing the McCall to his new favorite food; venison.

The banshee pulled herself from those thoughts to pay attention to the class but not before reflecting on just how far she's come since telling Scott that she wasn't going to fight against her abilities anymore. She was proud of herself, of who she has become. The twenty million that was on her head on the Dead Pool was definitely not for show, Dr Valack learned the hard way as her first kill.

Break 

Lydia wasn't the only one that was thinking about the connection she had with a certain hellhound because said hellhound was also thinking about it. It troubled him because it was like he was a pedophile, Cerberus on the other hand didn't see any problem with the attraction, not even a little bit.

Natalie Martin confronted Jordan about it, seeing how close they were getting and he couldn't really explain it, it just was and it didn't help that Scott made them official partners.

Since they were connected in a way that no one else in the pack was the young True Alpha saw fit to maximize their potential and productivity by putting them together and though there was definitely a part of the hellhound that was happy with the arrangement it made it hard for him to not develop any romantic feelings for the girl.

Though there was no fighting the feelings, Jordan decided to hold them in and focus on other things like being a good pack mate and deputy.

Break

"Lacrosse? You want to watch lacrosse practice?" Asked an incredulous Matt, addressing Tyler on their way to the cafeteria.

"What's wrong with that?" Questioned the werewolf.

"Since when have you been interested in lacrosse?" Was the reply the human gave.

"Since that guy managed to knock me down." Answered Tyler, pointing at a group Matt wasn't familiar with though it was mixed with some people from their local lacrosse team and others.

"That guy laughing with the girl to his left. I don't know how but he knocked me down this morning and said that he plays lacrosse. I want to see him play." Explained the Lockwood, taking a sit at a table a bit away from the visitors'.

"Then what, Ty? Challenge him to a game?"

"Maybe."

Just a few tables away from them were Binnie and Caroline, the former assuring the latter that she was alright.

"I'm fine, Caroline. I just needed sometime to myself." She said, eating her lunch.

"Well, if you want to talk I'm here. I just realized the power of expressing oneself and let me tell you, you don't know how much you need it until you've had someone to talk to." Responded the vampire, drinking blood from a red straw and container.

That gave the witch pause, thinking about the boy who offered the same thing her girlfriend was offering.

"Oh, before I forget, we are watching lacrosse practice after school." Said Caroline, interrupting the Bennett's thoughts.

"Why would we watch-oh... Scott." Was Bonnie's reply. 

"What?" Inquired the vampire.

"Scott is McCall's given name." Explained the witch before diving back to her food, missing the Forbes blinking eyes.

"Am I losing my touch or something? How did you find out his name before I did?" Asked a surprised Caroline, a little more surprised by not feeling jealous of her witch friend's accomplishment.

"Well, I bumped into him after I left you and Ric and he sought me out to return my phone since it fell and I didn't notice. He offered to listen if I wanted to talk and introduced himself, we exchanged numbers and that was that." Said Bonnie, finishing up her lunch.

She decided to leave out the part about the psychoscopy, especially about how someone who was obviously close to him died in his arms. That was too private a thing to share, more so when she wasn't supposed to have seen it.

'You have to kill him. He's an abomination.' Said a whisper.

"What?" Asked the girl, eyes distant.

"You just zoned out, are you OK?" Inquired Caroline, a concerned look on her face.

"I-I thought I heard something." Said the Bennett, the Forbes's voice having pulled her back to the present.

A few tables away from the two Beacon Hills High School students who were joined by some members of Mystic Falls High School lacrosse team were conversing, getting to know each other. Some had played against each other on previous games while others were just meeting for the first time or met during the classes before lunch and were just getting to know each other.

Scott happened to have been one of those who knew some of the Mystic Falls players and they reminded him of when Allison and Stiles were still alive, some even asked about the latter and he had to lie using the cover story. Other than that the True Alpha and his beta overheard a conversation between friends about what has been happening in town lately and how a students died just recently.

One of the students voiced that his journalist older sister suspected that the Town Council was hiding some of the deaths, disappearances and their causes as animal attacks and whatnot. Scott and Liam shared a look and for the former it was like the beginning of Peter's killing spree and his own early days as a werewolf.

The first beta of the True Alpha wondered what his alpha was going to do with the information they were learning after a vampire attacked him and he unintentionally contributed to her death. Already knowing that there was a vampire in Mystic Falls who kept a container of blood on her person but chose to attack a 'human' instead of drinking from it made it clear that at least one vampire in town didn't have a problem with feeding straight from the vain and considering where she led Scott, she might have contributed to the killings.

Though the McCall wasn't as against killing as he was before, he was still against senseless killing, especially of innocent people and didn't encourage the younger generation of the pack to kill unless necessary, that way they could be innocent for longer and not have to live with the guilt of taking a life for some time.

Liam often thought about how Scott felt for killing two people in one night when he previously didn't want to kill but never asked. He still carried his own guilt over trying to kill the person who saved his life and leaving him further weakened for Theo to finish the job and now used that as an anchor to keep himself and his Intermittent Explosive Disorder in control.

The boy didn't want to disappoint Scott again, he realized that the older boy was more disappointed in him than angry and that made everything worse, far worse.

"Liam." The True Alpha's voice caught the Dunbar's attention.

"I'll see you after school, in the meantime stay anchored." Said Scott, before patting the boy on the shoulder then excused himself from the table.

Liam understood what the alpha meant by that and wondered what he had in mind.

Break

Instead of going to class when the bell rang Scott went outside to make a call. Dr Deaton had just walked out a client and a patient when he received a call from his personal phone from his protege.

"Scott, how's Mystic Falls?" Was his greeting to the boy.

"Apparently there has been 'animal attacks' and not long after we arrived I went out to check if there were supernaturals in town and a vampire attacked me." Answered the Tribrid.

When the McCall didn't give details of the end of the attack the druid knew what was the fate of the vampire and didn't inquired on it, instead...

"What can I help you with then?" He asked instead.

"Um, Doc, could you..." Scott never got to finish his request as not long after getting out of the school building his eyes accidentally locked with those of a being that has been eluding him for sometime now and he didn't want to lose the chance to finally get to the bottom of the mystery.


	8. Chapter 8

Scott immediately used his connection to nature and animals and compelled the elusive raven to follow him, he wanted to get to the bottom of the origin of the bird and it's purpose. The supernatural boy looked around to see if there was a place he could go and found his answer when his eyes landed on the roof of the school building before checking if there were people around and when he saw that that was not the case he jumped to the roof and landed gracefully.

Once up there the True Alpha was confronted with how to extract information from the raven and came to only one method, mind melding though he wondered if it would work, having never tried it with an animal before.

"OK, buddy, come here." Said Scott to the raven that had been circling around him, an arm outstretched for it's landing.

When the bird landed on said arm, it's pointy talons digging into his flash, he gently caressed it so that it could relax as he released his control over it. It looked normal but having been stalked by the bird the boy wasn't fooled, there was just no way one bird could follow one person from one side of the country to the other without there being more to it.

Raven1 regained his-its senses somewhere it was not before, confused until it remembered its last sight, Scott McCall's eyes. But the caresses it was receiving were too distracting to fully take in what that meant because it seemed like the Tribrid had a magical touch. While the raven was distracted Scott protracted his claws swiftly initiated the mind melding ritual.

Break

After what happened Elena went back to sleep and Stefan decided to make her something to eat for when she woke up. He'd gotten a call from Caroline asking how he was and if Elena was coping well, with Bonnie calling Elena but the human was already asleep.

The man asked himself if he would have been able to live on and accept his older brother's death if they never returned to Mystic Falls and he got to met a certain Gilbert. Probably not, he knew he would have probably committed suicide or switched his emotions off and went into a killing spree, become exactly what Klaus wanted from him but the Salvatore was grateful that the Original Hybrid didn't force him to switch off his emotions.

At that very thought Stefan heard someone at the front door and went to check only to find an envelope with an M on it addressed to him. He looked around before retreating into the house and anxiously opened the envelope to find a simple yet intricate letter instructing him to watch over Greta and protect her, signed by Klaus.

The ancient man didn't didn't say anything other than that in the letter, just instructions and that's that. Stefan was a little relieved by that though he had a feeling he wasn't going to get along with the witch.

Break

Bonnie thought about the whisper she heard during her lunch break while the teacher for her first class after lunch was out, wondering who it was from and the person the whisper said to kill was. Her first thought was Klaus but something told her he wasn't the abomination the Whisper was talking about. Another question was if the whisper was a message given voice from the Spirits, warning her of a future enemy.

Break

'Who are you?!'

'A devoted fan. Show me the man who took down Deucalion and broke the Argents. I came for that alpha. Come on!'

Scott found his answer to the mystery surrounding the raven when he successfully mind melded with said raven.

To his surprise and shock the Tribrid discovered that the raven was actually and literally one piece of the first chimera he encountered by the name Belasko who claimed to be his "devoted fan" and that after the Dread Doctors killed him ravens clawed their way out of his body only to later gain self-consciousness and realize that they were Belasko in his now supernatural form, unable to take human form though satisfied by that since the who thing that made him work for the Dread Doctors was the promise that they would turn him into a bird.

After gaining consciousness the first raven to do so was decidedly called Raven1 and took the lead of other ravens for some order to be established then the ravens got used to their new state and learned to live in said state, that was until one of the ravens saw Scott one day, Belasko's much admired role model.

The True Alpha might have taken Belasko's declaration that he was a devoted fan lightly but that was in fact very much true. So true that Raven1, the leader of the ravens, took it upon himself to follow the Tribrid in his journey in life and watch as he lived on.

That ended up extending to those in his pack as the other ravens watched them too in order to see the effect the True Alpha had in their lives, being able to see through each others eyes allowed all the ravens that were Belasko to be in different places at the same time and get the full picture.

The transformed and in someways ascended Belasko witnessed his role model at his highest and lowest points in life these past months, from falling into depression after his resurrection to triggering his trigger werewolf (original werewolf) gene and unlock his full potential, from losing Kira and his pack to regaining and even extending it, and still admired Scott McCall, probably more so now than before and the True Alpha saw that.

He also saw that while Belasko wanted his power before, that was not the case anymore and that was a relief, though he was a little lost on the man's-er... Bird's plans other than stalking him and his pack. Since Scott couldn't talk with Belasko in the physical work he decided to get his answers by meeting him at the center of his subconscious mind.

For the first time since he was killed Belasko found himself in his human form, sitting on the surface of a gigantic tree stump in a white room and across from him sat Scott.

"Where are we?" Asked the older of the two, a little coward in his human form.

"The center of your subconscious mind. I brought you here because I need to have a conversation with you and we can't have one with you in your raven form." Answered the McCall.

That put the bird at ease a bit.

"I have no intention of taking your power anymore." He confessed.

"I know but that's all I know and I don't exactly feel comfortable knowing that there is someone watching my every move or that the same is happening to my pack, especially when I don't know your endgame." Replied Scott.

Belasko understood Scott's concerns, especially considering that some joined the pack to learn what made them tick and used that to his advantage.

"I haven't really thought about it since we, um, I started following you and your pack. There isn't much for me to gain from the general world and before I saw you I just spent my days exploring my abilities and just living." Said the man.

Thinking of the future wasn't really on his mind since life as a raven was way simpler, the only thing he had to worry about was getting caught, something that he was currently dealing with.

"Your abilities?" Inquired the True Alpha Tribrid, curious about that.

He didn't look into that so he hoped Belasko reveal his abilities since the man didn't have a problem with revealing his intentions before.

"Oh, yes! See..."

Having not spoken to someone in a while the raven ended up talking, he kind of missed conversing so once he said the first words he didn't hold back.

He took joy in explaining just how wonderful becoming ravens was and the advantages that came with that, which included having a hivemind like mind and connection, being able to see and hear what the other ravens witness and it turned out Belasko's talons could siphon abilities and power from any supernatural being, the only thing that stopped him from absorbing Scott's true alpha spark was exactly that, it was the power of a true alpha.

The talons could only siphon abilities and power but not a person's life-force, unlike it was required for werewolves to take pain then life before power, though it would feel like one's life-force was being siphons. That feeling was a result of having the power separated from the life-force since more often than not the power contributed to the longevity of the life-force.

Theo's death as a result of Malia siphoning his powers was actually caused by the talons going rather deep and damaging vital organs and causing internal bleeding, having his power taken and as a result weakening his body probably contributed to his death since he couldn't heal. That was Belasko's suggestion when Scott told him what happened when Malia used the talons.

The two spent sometime talking in the raven's mindscape and Scott saw the intelligence ravens were said to have while conversing with the former chimera. When the McCall asked how did the ravens keep track of the pack when they had to eat and at times rest, Belasko revealed a rather useful and power ability that scared and intrigued the alpha.

Each of the ravens was able to cast a kind of a spell on a human and nonhuman through eye contact that would allowed the birds to temporarily possess the individual and extend their hivemind without the individual's awareness, gaining a temporary vessel to carry out the raven's desires including spying.

The spell worked by suppressing the victim's mind, conscious and subconscious, and gaining full control and access of his or her body and because of their hivemind the ravens didn't have a problem with controlling said body. The scary thing was that the victim's body gained a portion of Belasko's chimera human form's abilities which included super strength, speed, agility, senses and even worse, the were not affected by supernatural laws like mountain ash.

That was scary, it meant if Belasko wanted he could possess anyone in the pack and have them kill anyone anywhere and then release the possession. It meant Belasko could become the greatest and most skilled and successful covert operative the world has ever seen and remain hidden. If someone like Gerard had Belasko on his side...

"Would you like to be my familiar?" Asked Scott.

"What?" Questioned a confused Belasko at the sudden question.

"Would you like to be my familiar? Familiar as in an attendant spirit, often taking an animal form, it can also be a close and trusted friend." Repeated the Tribrid, explaining a little bit.

"Why?" Inquired the raven.

"You said that you haven't thought about an endgame and it doesn't look like you want to have one considering you've been following me around for months now, and you said it yourself, there isn't much for you to gain from the general world. I haven't created my talisman yet, I've come up with a lot of ideas and spells for one but for some reason I've always felt like I'm missing something and the idea of having an ordinary talisman just doesn't feel right to me.

I guess it's because I'm not ordinary myself, but thinking about it right now, I think a familiar would make a great talisman for me, something no one would suspect to be such an important artifact for a witch. You're not an ordinary raven, just as I'm no ordinary witch.

You still have your connection to your werewolf side even in your permanent raven form since you can grant your 'proxies' a portion of your werewolf abilities which actually appeals to me. I was a werewolf before I was anything else since my tribrid status was dormant and activated after I'd gotten used to being an evolved werewolf.

And your ability to kind of 'compel' people by suppressing their conscious and subconscious mind in order to possess them appeals to my vampire side.

Everything about you is exactly what I want in a familiar and a talisman because it complements every part of who I am; a vampire, a witch and a werewolf! So, what do you say? Would you like to be my familiar and talisman, Belasko?" Explained the True Alpha, feeling like he has found what he has been looking for, the missing piece.

Belasko took a moment to think over the explanation and offer. It didn't really offer him much except assured companionship and a chance to actually interact with Scott than just watch him from afar, not to mention a rather lengthy servitude to a near impossible to kill person.

Break

Doctor Alan Deaton who was left hanging by Scott debated on disconnecting the call but finally decided to hold on until the boy got back since he didn't disconnect.

Break

"Alright, I accept the offer. I would like to be your familiar and talisman." Decided Belasko, after some time thinking about it.

He didn't really have anything in mind, a purpose or great ambition and after months of observing the Tribrid the raven felt like he knew him so he took the offer.

In his excitement and joy Scott momentarily forgot that they were in Belasko's mindscape and instructed the raven for them to hold each others forearms and bury their claws into said forearms before he started the spells that would link them together and make Belasko the True Alpha's familiar but most importantly his talisman.

He just chose which spell to use from those that he had already created and just adjusted it while Belasko was busy thinking over his decision just in case the raven accepted his offer.

He used their blood to form the link, something he knew Dr Deaton wouldn't advise to do but the boy wanted the link and his talisman to be as powerful as possible and have all the advantages they could both offer, there was no telling what people would do if they discovered the ravens and since he was already powerful, he needed a talisman that would complement him and grow in power as he does.

The vet and his protege discovered that Scott was an abnormally powerful witch, even for what the more experienced of the two could expect from a witch, vampire and werewolf tribrid, and they both knew the boy would grow even more powerful with time.

Scott wanted his familiar and talisman to grow with him, for their relationship to benefit the both of them in every way to be able to complement each other well and be a well balanced and compatible team and partners. He once had a companion dog by the name Roxy who was fatally attacked by another dog, a bigger one, while he was taking her on a walk.

Somehow the memories of the attack were suppressed, maybe by the Dread Doctors for some reason, probably had something to do with Theo, since he regained them after reading Dr Valack's coded book but since then Scott has been thinking about what ifs. What if he had been stronger?

What if Roxy had been just a little bit stronger? What if he hadn't had an asthma attack and helped his best friend because at the time his companion dog was just that, his best friend.

All that gave the True Alpha the motivation to make sure Belasko could defend himself to the best of his capabilities and grow in power just as he would because so far he hasn't met a weak enemy, they actually kept getting stronger with nastier plans and affected more people than the last.

When all was said and done Scott thanked Belasko and ended the mind melding ritual and a moment later, in the physical world, he started seeing multiple sights that he absentmindedly identified as being from Beacon Hills because of the sites and two as from Mystic Falls High School.

He realized that he was seeing through the ravens's sight right before disorientation took over and he blacked out right at the edge of the roof, with Raven1 a little disoriented from the mind melding ritual and Scott's claw wounds on his raven neck so he fly down to rest on the roof just a moment before the alpha fell over the edge.

Break

Alaric Saltzman left his first class after lunch to get a textbook from his car. On his way towards the front doors he heard a thud sound outside and prepared himself for a fight, cautiously approaching the door, he slowly opened it to get a picture of the situation only to see someone laying down awkwardly as though they just collapsed.

The vampire hunter waited a moment to see if it was a trap and when nothing happened he quickly opened the door the rest of the way and went to check on the person. Alaric recognized said person as one of the visiting students from Beacon Hills High School he saw earlier in the administration office and that he was sweating profusely with no wounds on his neck or mouth, which was a relief though his short intakes of breath was cause for concern.

The human picked the boy from the floor only to see his phone facing up with an on going phone call to a Dr Deaton whom the History teacher took for the boy's family doctor and decided to return the boy to the ground and talk to the doctor since he or she would probably know more about what was going on and what to do.

"Uh, Dr Deaton?" He inquired upon getting the phone.

"Yes. Who is this?" Asked doctor, a little cautious though Alaric didn't notice.

"Ri-Alaric Saltzman, a teacher at Mystic Falls High School. I just happened to find a boy I identify as a student from the visiting school Beacon Hills High School laying just outside the front doors of the school, appearing to have just collapsed and is sweating profusely with short intakes of breath." Explained Alaric, looking at said boy before him.

There was a momentary pause on the other line, which was caused by the druid thinking over how to respond without accidentally revealing details he didn't want to reveal. He knew vervain and wolfsbane didn't affect Scott to an extreme level ever since he unlocked his tribrid birthright, well apart from yellow wolfsbane and mistletoe but they wouldn't react so quickly... Unless concentrated.

"The boy's name is Scott McCall, could you please take him to the school's nurse's office and ask for Liam Dunbar who is a close friend of Scott and a sophomore from his school. Liam is familiar with Scott's medical history and I need to talk to him, please." Requested Dr Deaton, as calm as ever though the human could detect concern in his voice.

Break

Liam was in the middle of his class when a teacher came asking for him. He was excused and when he got outside the teacher, Mr Saltzman, explained and the boy didn't waste time in taking the phone from the man and quickly walked in his alpha's direction, the teacher following behind.

"Dr Deaton." Began walking the beta.

"Liam, what's going on with Scott? He called me a few minutes before Mr Saltzman found him but never got to the reason why." Inquired Dr Deaton.

"I just got out of class, I'm on my way to check on him." Replied the boy.

"Alright. I need you to check if he's been poisoned by yellow wolfsbane or mistletoe. Those are the two likeliest causes given the timeframe and symptoms although the cause may be something else but there's only so much I can speculate with the symptoms I've been give." Said the druid.

A moment later Liam walked into the nurse's office and Alaric told the female nurse attending to Scott that the boy's doctor said the younger boy was familiar with the older boy's medical history and needed to be talking to him, which earned the Dunbar permission to see his alpha though with the nurse's supervision.

The beta walked to the McCall, heart beating fast. He secretly smelled for vervain, wolfsbane and mistletoe and any other harmful herbs but found non.

"Um, Dr Deaton, Scott is sweating a lot, his breathing is shallow and his heart rate is a lot faster but I don't see any symptoms suggesting, uh, an allergic reaction or an asthma relapse though his eyes are rapidly moving and..."

"His eyes are rapidly moving?" Asked Dr Deaton, interrupting Liam.

"Yes. Is that important?" Responded the boy.

"Very. Rapid eye movement during sleep occurs when an individual experiences most brain activity and dreams, it is known as REM sleep. Rapid eye movement sleep. Whatever that's affecting Scott seems to be psychological and may be spiritual. I would say he's experiencing an intense vision but there might be more to it, like a psychological attack. Scott is too physically powerful to be affected in such a way by a simple vision." Explained the man.

"OK, so how do I wake him up?" Inquired the Dunbar.

"You might not be able to, especially without exposing yourself but someone else could. Call Lydia and tell her what's happening and that we need her to wake Scott up like she did me, she'll understand." Said the vet.

While the boy followed the doctor's instruction by calling Lydia via his own phone Alaric and the nurse watched as they seemed to be forgotten, raising eyebrows at the mention of an asthma relapse, well more so the nurse than the teacher.

Break

When Lydia's phone suddenly vibrated and she took it out to see that it was Liam calling she excused herself before answering.

"What is it, Liam?" Was her greeting.

"There's something wrong with Scott." Replied the beta, causing the girl to pause a little.

Across the hallway a certain werecoyote's ears twitched at the mention of her alpha's name and quickly excused herself from her class, she just walked out, when Lydia asked what was wrong with Scott.

"A local teacher found him passed out on the ground like he collapsed and he's sweating a lot, not to mention his shallow breathing. Dr Deaton said to call you when I told him about... Um..."

"Rapid eye movement sleep." Said the school nurse, having filled away Liam's comment about the sick boy's rapid eye movement and connected it to REM sleep.

The Dunbar gave a thankful nod to the nurse before returning to the phone, reminded if her presence and also the teacher's who shouldn't be present.

"Who was that?" Asked Malia when she found Lydia.

"Uh, the school nurse and the teacher who found Scott are here." Answered Liam.

"Liam, could you pass the phone to the nurse." Requested Deaton, still on the line on Scott's phone.

"Sure." The nurse and Alaric suddenly heard the boy say before he offered the former Scott's phone.

"Dr Deaton would like to talk with you." He said.

She accepted the phone while the werewolf went back to his alpha's side.

"Nurse Monroe speaking." Introduced Nurse Monroe.

"Nurse Monroe I'm Dr Deaton, Mr McCall's private doctor. Could you please grant our patient his right to privacy by asking Mr Saltzman to leave? I don't think he would be comfortable with the idea of having a stranger present in his condition regardless of whether said stranger might have saved his life." Responded Dr Deaton, and the good nurse understood and agreed to do just that.

A moment later found Nurse Monroe escorting a little reluctant vampire hunter out of the room, giving the Beacon Hills residents the chance to help the True Alpha in private. Lydia instructed Liam to bring his phone close to Scott's ear for her to pull him out of whatever he was experiencing as she once did Dr Deaton.

Break

Belasko, as a collective of ravens, felt a new psychic and telepathic connection form between him and his new... Master?

He noticed that he was growing stronger and better in every way and guessed that since he still possessed his werewolf traits and that he was now connected to Scott he was a part of the McCall Pack and possessed all the privileges of being in a pack including the symbiotic pack bond.

A moment later the raven felt the connection solidify, bound by blood, mind, spirit and magic. At first Scott's presence was overwhelming but as he stabilized with Lydia's voice grounding him a new balance was found.

Break

Scott didn't realize that forming the ritual in a mental scape would form a psychological link and force his mind to be compatible with Belasko's hivemind to handle the stress but for that to happen he blacked out. His body and psyche adjusted just as Belasko's did. A moment after that the True Alpha began regaining consciousness with Lydia's voice serving as an anchor.

"He's waking up!" Announced a relieved Liam just as Nurse Monroe returned.

"He is?" She asked, echoing Malia and Lydia, a little surprised though sure enough her patient was regaining consciousness and some color.

"Yeah."

"How do you feel?" Asked the woman, checking on the boy while Liam took his phone back and conversed with his pack mates and their emissary.

Scott groaned before stating that he was thirsty and she sat him a little upright before giving him a glass of water which while refreshing the Tribrid kind of wanted some blood but he thanked her nonetheless.

"What happened before you lost consciousness?" Asked Nurse Monroe, checking the McCall's vitals.

"Um, I'm not sure. I, I just felt lightheaded and disorientated then everything went blank. Wha-what happened?" Was a confused Scott's response, he really wanted to know what happened after he ended the mind melding ritual with Raven1/Belasko.

"Well, it seems like you collapsed just outside the school front doors and Mr Saltzman, a History teacher here, found and brought you to the nurse's office. Fortunately you were on the phone with your doctor when you passed out and the call didn't end so Dr Deaton was able to help.

Is this a one time thing or has it been happening for a while but outside your school grounds? Your school medical records don't have much outside asthma attacks." Informed the nurse, before following up with a question.

"It's not a usual..."

"Dunbar, where the hell is McCall?" Interrupted Coach Finstock, having been informed that one of his students collapsed.

"Here, coach." Scott answered for his beta who just ended the phone calls with a promise to update the pack and their emissary.

"What wrong with you? Is senior year finally getting to you? The stress of the upcoming exams and graduation?" Inquired the man, calming down once he saw the McCall was awake.

He worried about his team and students just as any teacher and coach would, it was kind of hard not to develop some attachments to them.

"Huh, that actually makes sense. Often students stress over their final years, especially when exam time nears." Noted Nurse Monroe.

"And you are?" Asked the lacrosse coach, looking at the woman as though he just realized that she was present.

It got a little awkward after the question but the trained and registered professional nurse soon regain her confidence.

"Nurse Monroe, one of the school nurses and the one who instructed that you be informed about your student being admitted to the nurse's office. I assume you're Coach Finstock and my patient's legal guardian during this visit." She said, eyes on the man that pretended she wasn't there.

"Oh, I like you already. How about you fill me in on my star player's health? Will he be sitting out today's practice?" Responded Coach Finstock.

"Definitely."

"No! I mean no. I'll be fine by then." Nurse Monroe and Scott spoke over each other before they paused.

"I wasn't talking to you, McCall! You heard the lady, I don't want to see you on the field today during the game." Said the coach.

"What game?" Asked Liam, speaking for the first time since before his coach arrived.

"The surprise game. You call yourself team captain but you have no idea that there's a surprise game after school? What kind of team captain are you? We'll use today's surprise game as control for Friday's game obviously, otherwise we wouldn't see the difference." Replied the man.

It took a moment for him to realize that he spoiled the surprise and everyone's faces in the room said as much.

"Oh crap. You didn't hear that, you hear me? If you so much as say a word of this to anyone, I will make McCall team captain again with immediate effect and you, Dunbar, will never ever be team captain again, and you'll be on equipment duty for the whole season." That quickly put out any excitement the teenagers had from learning about the surprise game.

"Now that's settled, get to class, Dunbar and you rest, McCall." Instructed Coach Finstock, pushing Liam outside though not before he returned Scott's phone to him and the boys shared a look, the older of the two nodding for his beta to go back to class.

Nurse Monroe asked follow up questions after that before she excused herself, leaving the boy to rest but not long after her departure Raven1 flew into the room through the opened window, landing on the end of the bed the alpha was on.

'Can you hear me?' Asked the raven, trying out his new connection to the Tribrid.

The surprised look on the McCall's face said it all.

'Yeah, I can. Are the claw wounds healing alright?' He responded, testing out the connection as well.

'They're healing at a slow pace but I'll be fine.' Replied Raven1.

'That's good but I'll bandage you once I'm released here. Tell me what happened after I blacked out.' Said Scott, while sending messages to his pack, emissary and mother informing them that he was alright.


	9. Chapter 9

"What are you two doing in the hallway during classes?" Questioned Principal Natalie Martin, catching the girls a moment after Liam informed them on what he knew about Scott's situation.

"Something happened with Scott so Liam called asking for my help." Answered Lydia.

"Is he alright?" Asked a concerned Natalie, while she hoping the boy didn't get himself involved in Mystic Falls supernatural community if it had one.

"He's awake but we haven't talked to him yet." Was Malia's reply, and it was clear she didn't like the last part.

"Well then get to class. I'll call Coach then inform you on my findings." Said the woman.

"Coach won't know more than Liam, mom." The banshee pointed out, which was true for more than one reason.

"Then you'll have to wait until then. This is your last semester in high school, surely you could take it more serious." Natalie truly wished the kids could focus on their school career.

Break

"Why do I feel like you're not telling me something?" Asked Melissa McCall.

After listening to her son try to explain what happened and what was wrong with him the woman was not convinced that he knew nothing about what was happening to him. Alan commented on how far ahead and advanced Scott was in witchcraft for his age, especially considering that he started practicing late and has been for just a few months, not to mention how the boy was an 'artificial witch created by the Dread Doctors'.

Yeah, as time went by the druid was beginning to have doubts about that. The True Alpha sighed, he couldn't really fool his mother and that was true for his pack too, but...

"Alright, there's something I'm not telling you. I need to create my talisman soon or I'll experience more of these blackouts." Said the boy.

"Why? And why haven't you?" Questioned the mother.

"I need a form of a limiter to manage my magic powers, a gateway. Like Kira's katana serves as a gateway to her powers. My magic powers keep growing everyday day, mom and uncontrollable magic is dangerous magic, especially when it's internal. All the spells and ingredients I've come up with haven't felt right for me for my talisman but I'm hoping that I'll be inspired while I'm here." Answered Scott.

"Well, get inspired soon before you give me a heart attack. I have to get back to work so I'll call later to check up on you. I love you, honey."

"I love you too, mom." Responded Scott before they both disconnected the call.

'So, what now?' Asked Raven1.

'We wait until I'm allowed to leave.'

'You do know that you could just compel the nurse to release you, right?'

'I do, but I kind of want to be here at least until the end of first class after lunch while I think about how to introduce you to everyone. I haven't really thought or voiced thoughts of adopting a pet so it would be strange to get one out of the blue.' Replied the McCall.

The bird hadn't thought of that, but...

'I think I have an idea.' Said Raven1.

Break

"Caroline and Bonnie called earlier." Said Stefan, watching as Elena eat after she woke up. "Alaric told them about what happened."

"I'll call them later. What do you plan on doing with Katherine?" Responded the girl.

"I, I don't know. I don't even know if we will find her." Answered the vampire.

"What about Tyler?"

Now that question gave him pause. Stefan hadn't really thought about Tyler Lockwood much after Damon told him about his fate, the only thing he had on his mind was finding a cure. A cure Katherine stole that he still had to pay for.

The Salvatore wanted to blame the werewolf for his brother's death, he wanted to rage and set loose the monster he didn't want to be, but that was the thing, he didn't want to be that monster. He had to learn control or Klaus was going to succeed in bringing the ripper out of him.

Thinking about that the vampire waited for Elena to finish eating before telling her about the letter from Klaus. 

Break

Matt joined Tyler after school to watch the lacrosse practice. He wasn't really interested in the sport per se, he just wanted to watch and maybe take notes. Just as the human sat down he saw Caroline laughing happily while pulling Bonnie behind her, a sense of longing hit him but the boy was resolved in his decision, a supernatural best friend was more than enough.

Said supernatural best friend didn't miss his reaction and was a little glad that Caroline rejected his advances. He was learning to see her just as she saw him, as a friend and that was enough because not so long ago his only true friend was Matt. Caroline and Bonnie found themselves seats before looking on as the players got on the field in their training gear with their respective coaches.

"It seems like Mc-Scott isn't going to participate." Said the witch, seeing that the boy wasn't in gear.

"What? But he's the only reason I came." Whined the vampire, echoing Tyler's own disappointment.

A moment later the local lacrosse coach announced that there wouldn't be practice today but a game to kick start the week. That surprised a lot of people, especially the players.

"Wow, talk about a turn of events. This might be interesting." Voiced the Bennett and her vampire friend agreed.

It took sometime for the players to get ready but soon the game was on though it started out a little slow but with its pass the speed picked up with Timberwolves scoring the first and second goals, feeling more confident since they were home. The score evened out when Liam and Gwen scored, respectively before Diaz (Cyclones) scored the third goal, the Cyclones taking lead.

The Timberwolves struggled with the attention if the crowd since more people came to watch the game than usual, lacrosse wasn't the sport in Mystic Falls while in Beacon Hills it was quite popular, so popular that every game was televised and that game the Cyclones the advantage though Liam was just finding his footing as a team captain which was a blessing for the local team, otherwise they might have been losing by a steep slide.

It made Scott proud that his beta was finding his footing, with Gwen and Diaz as good support.

Matt and Tyler found themselves a lot more interested in the game than they thought they would be, especially when the captain of Cyclones mixed it up with parkour which earned him and his team some cheers from the local crowd and that didn't help the Timberwolves morale.

Coach Finstock couldn't help the satisfied smirk that came over his face, he and his friend, the Timberwolves' coach Coach Mbongo had a bet going and by the score on the board Bobby was already counting his wins. That was until he saw Scott suddenly pick up two crosses and run to the field, he yelled at the boy to get back to his seat especially when it was obvious the McCall was going to intercept a goal heading for the Timberwolves' goal net.

The man didn't just want to win, he wanted to destroy the spirit of the local team but it seemed like his former captain had other ideas. Bonnie and Caroline, like everyone else including Liam, Gwen, Tyler and Matt, wondered why the McCall would suddenly run into the field to save a goal for his team for the opposing team.

That wonder lasted until they saw a black figure fall from the sky and it was obvious that the ball was going to hit it, hard.

The crowd and players watched as if in slow motion as they saw another parkour practitioner from Beacon Hills run into the field, jump and flip over or spin around obstacles, which were the players, and when he was right where the collision would take place, extend the duo of crosses he had to catch both the ball and black figure while spinning around to use the momentum he'd picked up and from the objects in the nets to limit further damage to the black figure and come to a stop.

He ended up in a very superhero pose on one knee, bent over with one crosse in front while the other his rear, face down. If Derek had been present he would have been very proud of his protege. Liam was just in awe. Scott used reasonable speed and agility, everything that would be counted as humanly possible but the way he delivered it all and the 'finish' was just badass and graceful. What followed next was a moment of utter silence, until...

"McCall, what the hell was that?!" Shouted Coach Finstock, approaching the boy.

Scott stood and threw the crosse with the ball to his coach who easily caught it, then the boy carefully took out the black figure from the crosse he still held, eliciting a croaking call to echoed throughout the field before everyone saw a bird.

"What's that? A crow?" Inquired the coach, a little curious.

"A... Raven. And one of its wings is limp, probably got separated from its flock." Answered the Tribrid, throwing his coach the other crosse which he caught.

"You want to tell me you intercepted a goal to save a crow?" Questioned the man, as though that was the most ridiculous thing he's heard.

"A raven, coach. There's a difference. Um, anyone know where the local animal clinic is?" Replied Scott, before making his own inquiry while leaving the field.

The question served as a reminder for those from Beacon Hills why their former captain would do what he did, he was an assistant to a veterinarian. When no one replied Coach Finstock repeated the question.

Everyone was just taken aback by the boy's reason for interrupting a match, particularly those who were aware that ravens were thought to be bad omens though that was just one of many beliefs.

"Did he really interrupt a game to save a bird?" Asked Caroline, not knowing anyone who would do something like that, well maybe Bonnie.

"Looks like it. A raven at that. It's kind of cute that he would do that and it means that his offer was genuine." Said Bonnie, a smile on her lips.

She was impressed, not a lot of people cared as much about nature in general and she couldn't help but appreciate that he would go out of his way to save a random bird. Oh, if only she knew that said 'random bird' was not so random.

The witch took her eyes off Caroline for but a moment only to see her friend at Scott's side the next, introducing herself and presumably being his guide to the only animal clinic in town. The thought of healing the bird with her magic crossed her mind but there was a risk in that. Exposure.

"Let's continue the game, people. We still have a game to finish." Said Coach Mbongo.

Break

"Hi!" Greeted Caroline, once Scott was off the field, picking his beg from the bench he had been sitting on and leaving the area.

"Um, hi." The boy returned the greeting, a moment before her scent registered to him and identified her as a vampire.

"I happen to live not that far from the only animal clinic in town so I wouldn't mind driving you there." Said the girl, playing with a strand of her hair.

"Uh..."

"Great! I'm Caroline, by the way, Caroline Forbes. And you're Scott McCall, the boy who just intercepted a goal for his team to save a bird." Interrupted Caroline, causing the boy to pause.

"How did know my name?" He asked, cautious.

"Oh, you met a friend of mine earlier, Bonnie." She said, realizing that it must have sounded pretty weird and a bit alarming.

The True Alpha realized that the witch and vampire probably knew about each others supernatural status and wondered if the werewolf he met in the hallway was a friend of theirs. Considering his own unconventional pack the McCall wouldn't be surprised if they were, the problem was that the boy didn't know the girl's intentions.

After the run in with the female vampire (Katherine) yesterday the Witch Tribrid was cautious. He didn't come to Mystic Falls to kill people.

'Her intentions are pretty obvious, you're just pretending otherwise like you have been doing since Kira left. Live a little, Scott. Remember that though you're an alpha of a pack you're still a teenage boy. If she's interested go for it for a change.' Said Raven1, having had enough of watching the McCall turn down every girl who has shown interest.

"Uh, Scott?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'd appreciate a ride, thanks." Replied Scott, having been caught off guard by the raven's comment.

It felt a weird having the bird speak with him telepathically, he could even feel the other parts of Belasko. Satisfied, Caroline led the True Alpha to her car, a spring to her step. 

Break

Malia sighed in annoyance as she sat in detention after school. After the teacher saw her talking on the phone in the morning during class she was given detention for after school. It wasn't a big deal but what really got to her was that she couldn't make a call to check up on her fellow alpha. The general world was really annoying with its rules and whatnot, really, life in the wild was way more her style, except the part where she was alone.

The exception was why she enjoyed teaching Scott, sharing knowledge and skills with him that took a lot of time for her to learn and develop on her own. The werecoyote appreciated that the boy appreciated and valued his lessons with her just as she appreciated and valued her lessons with him. It was actually nice to have someone in the pack that she could connect with in the form that she felt most comfortable in, it helped that Scott loved deer meat just as much as she did after their first successful hunt together.

That actually gave Malia the sense that she was normal when people ask her what her favorite food was and she answered with deer. She didn't have to think about the 'correct/normal' answer anymore and reply with... Pizza. It was nice, refreshing and so her. Learning her abilities as an alpha was another thing the Tate enjoyed, including exploring the abilities she took from Theo the Traitor and integrating them into her fighting style.

Though it was annoying that Lydia and Jordan were immune to kanima venom and Scott had an unusually high resistance and tolerance to electricity. Aside from that Malia was glad that even though there were things she was keeping from her adoptive father, they had a far better father and daughter relationship than she had with her biological father. A biological father who tried to use her desire to find her biological mother to kill for him.

The fact that Peter wanted her to kill Kate, his then partner, made the girl wonder if he would have honored her deal with him. While on the thought of her parents, Malia thought about Scott's confession. His confession that he didn't feel guilty about killing her biological mother, Corrine.

They never touched that topic since that time, not even once. Though they never touched that topic again the girl felt like that was probably the most honest Scott has ever been with anyone about his more darker side, the side that he has been keeping at bay.

It had been somewhat confusing during the werecoyote's early days with the pack that the one person who was supposed to be the most dominant, claw happy and quick to kill was actually the one to take the road with least resistance and violence as much as possible, and hold back in order to avoid getting lost in the heat of battle and accidentally kill someone.

Once she joined his pack Scott McCall was a far cry from the dominating and intimidating alpha werewolf who forced her to submit and change back to human even though they were different species, actually, before she even joined the pack. Malia remembered the awe and wonder in his eyes the first time she laid eyes on him in her human form, another far cry from the dominating howl he released a moment before.

She only fully realized after he'd confessed that he felt no guilt for killing two people in one night, one of them being her mother and the other a resurrected spirit, that Scott's pacifism was probably a way to not give in to his darker desires. It was actually possible that if the boy decided to give in to those desires he would be worse than the enemies they've encountered and that was just as a werewolf. L

That made Malia think about Peter's comment about the True Alpha being incorruptible. It wasn't about being incorruptible but not giving in and keeping himself from becoming what he said Peter was, a monster. The alpha werecoyote learned a lot about Scott during their training together and how he handled his alpha status and desire to expand the pack.

Oh, Malia knew how that felt since becoming an alpha herself and was glad she had the boy to help and guide her. Though the McCall had the power to rule Beacon County and with time the world he just wanted a normal life, the life Peter's bite took away from him.

He has accepted his fate but that doesn't mean there isn't a small part of him that envies humans who lived their lives completely oblivious to the existence of supernaturals. That very same envy was the reason he wasn't going around turning people, he valued what they had, something he wasn't ever going to have again and wanted to preserve it. The werecoyote understood her fellow alpha because that was kind of how she felt concerning her adoptive father.

Yes, she was afraid of losing him if he learns the truth but that wasn't the only reason she kept him in the dark, the other reason was to keep him safe and a supernatural 'virgin' because once a person learned about that world it wasn't easy getting out of it, especially if family was involved. The only person who seemed to manage was Natalie Martin, somehow.

That woman was just... Infuriating. She knew the truth about their situations but acted like she knew absolutely nothing. It seemed like she didn't realize that her daughter along with her pack and it's allies were responsible for keeping Beacon Hills High School, Beacon Hills and Beacon County functional.

If Scott decided to change his ideals about the pack being protectors of Beacon Hills and by extension Beacon County the next time something happens, the town and county would be most definitely left defenseless. But people like Lydia's mother made one question if they were worth protecting, especially those who Scott had to compel before they made life difficult for the pack and it's allies.

Now Malia was even more annoyed with being in detention because it made her think about all that since there wasn't anything else to do. It wasn't her fault that she got bored and wanted to hear Scott's voice. It was actually amazing how she went from hating him for forcing her to take human form to being close friends and confidants, same with Lydia.

The werecoyote had no problem leaving the banshee behind but now she was her best friend. Somehow Malia found herself with this amazing group of friends who would risk their lives for her, just as she would risk hers for them. After thinking about all that the girl expected for detention to end at any moment only to be disappointed that that wasn't the case.

Break

Alaric watched from his car as a recovered Scott McCall climbed into Caroline's car before she pulled out and drove away. He wondered what that was about before pulling out and getting on the road himself. He found Elena and Stefan in the kitchen with the former reading what seemed to be a letter. Greeting them, he got himself a glass of water.

"At least he's not forcing you to leave town and search for Katherine." Commented the Gilbert, closing the letter Stefan just gave her.

"Yeah well, I'm sure there's more to it than just that. It feels like Klaus has more plans for me than just a bodyguard." Said Stefan.

"He wants you to be his bodyguard?" Asked Alaric, finding that ridiculous.

"His witch's bodyguard. I don't know why he doesn't just leave already. The curse if broken, what more is there for him here?" Answered Elena before rhetorically asking.

The only vampire in the room lowered his head a little, mentally answering the question with one word; ripper.

"Well, I have lighter news. The visiting students have arrived." Said the vampire hunter.

"What visiting students?"

"A lacrosse team from a high school outside the state. They'll be in town for the week, attending the high school and training with our local lacrosse team after school." Alaric answered Elena's question, before excusing himself.

"That's new." Said the girl.

"It's probably to increase our local lacrosse team's popularity and funding." Stefan offered.

There was a little voice in his head that said that at least Damon wasn't around to cause problems while another rejoiced that the older Salvatore couldn't mess up his relationship with Elena, but the vampire tried to ignore how those voices sounded like his own.

Break

Satisfied that Scott was back to his feet Liam enjoyed the rest of the game. Nerves and worry out of mind and focus on winning, the boy set to win his first game as team captain. He suspected that that was one of the reasons his alpha left, to give him the chance to do his thing without him there, a test of sorts and the boy wasn't going to fail it.

His team picked up right where they left off and scored even more goals with Coach Finstock celebrating loudly although Cyclones slowed down to give Timberwolves a chance to catch up.

They still had a few more days in Mystic Falls and didn't want to make their living hard for beating the local team by a landslide, something that their coach didn't seem pleased with and made it known to Liam only for the boy to give a valid reason that they were visiting and didn't need to brutally beat the local team on their first game.

They needed to play smart, not hard. The beta smiled when he said that part, thinking about his stepfather who usually said that to him. Life was better, life was good.

The Dunbar was happy that his mother wasn't as on edge as she was before the longer time went without an outburst from him or a report about him exploding. Somehow, Scott turning him into a werewolf was a gift, a blessing in disguise he didn't think it was at first and Liam was glad for it. He has never thanked the McCall for saving his life but he was grateful.

Break

"So... Do you go around saving birds often?" Asked Caroline, pointing at the raven.

"Not really." Answered Scott, thinking about the time Malia dared him to capture a bird in his wolf form.

Not birds.

"I work at an animal clinic so animals are usually brought to my workplace." He added.

"As a receptionist?" Inquired the girl, sure that the boy's looks would work for him.

"An assistant to the veterinarian. What about you? Have a part-time job?"

"Nope. But I do handle a few things at school, including organizing school events like dances and I'm the captain of the Lady Timberwolves." Responded Caroline, impressed by her passenger's part-time job occupation.

It seemed like he was more than a typical jock.

"Lady Timberwolves? Your school has a girls only lacrosse team?" Commented Scott.

"What? No! The Lady Timberwolves is a cheerleading squad led by yours truly."

"Oh. Sorry. My school doesn't have a cheerleading team. In place of that we have co-ed sports, if you noticed there are girls in our lacrosse team." The vampire noted pride in the boy's voice though she found it weird that a school didn't have cheerleaders.

She didn't think her small town would get over their stereotype mentality and let boys join the Lady Timberwolves, the name itself kind of proved the point.

"But if you had a cheerleading team, would you join it?" She asked out of curiosity.

Scott took a moment to think about that. Though there were benefits to cheerleading, the boy couldn't help but think of Allison and her years of gymnastic experience. If she joined a cheerleading team when she arrived in Beacon Hills and males were allowed to join, he was sure he would have joined the first chance he got.

He knew how nice it was to play the same sport and be on the same team with the person he loved from Kira joining the lacrosse team. They spent more time together and...

'You still have a question to answer, you know.' Raven1 said, startling the Werewolf Tribrid.

'Stop doing that!' He admonished.

"It would depend on whether I would still be able to play lacrosse or not." Scott's reply satisfied Caroline because he took the question seriously and considered his answer and not for her benefit.

It made her reevaluate her plans to have a fling with him. She couldn't help but notice that he was thoughtful and that added the risk of developing feelings for him. A lot could happen in a week, she knew that very well. When they arrived at the animal clinic, Mystic Falls Animal Clinic, named after the town, the Vampire Tribrid and vampire went in. Caroline offered to take the McCall back to the school or motel, whichever he preferred.

"Hi, I'd like to get this raven checked up. I caught it falling from the sky, probably got lost from its unkindness." Said Scott, after entering the clinic, holding said bird.

"Hi! Ah, alright please fill in the register." Responded the receptionist.

The Forbes just took a sit and watched it all play out although she was thinking about getting her blood fix before the thirst took over.

"Right this way, Mr McCall." Said the receptionist after the boy filled the register, directing him to the back.

He sent a nod to Caroline before following. The girl overhead the veterinarian praise Scott for having caught the bird, sighting that it's wing was only dislocated and if the lacrosse ball had hit it it would have probably broken the bones entirely.

She stated that they would keep the bird there for the time being and either release it or call appropriate people to find it a home since the boy was visiting and wasn't looking to adopt. A few minutes later saw Caroline and Scott leave the animal clinic.

The girl asked him if it was OK if she passed by her house to get a change of clothes before taking him to his motel, something he was alright with plus he was interested in seeing if she would attack him like the first vampire he met.

"Thanks for..."

The Witch Tribrid was interrupted by his phone vibrating and a quick check told him it was Malia.

"Could..."

"Sure, answer away." Said the Forbes, smiling while looking to get more details on the jock that seemed lovable and not a total jerk.

"Hey, Malia." Greeted Scott after answering.

"I really hate detention." Was the girl's greeting, almost causing an eavesdropping Caroline to burst out laughing.

"More than Maths?"

"Of course not. But detention is a close second. What happened? Liam didn't say much and your text wasn't exactly detailed, just a vague 'I'm OK'."

"I am OK. I collapsed earlier while on the phone with Deaton and according to Liam I was short of breath and sweating." Responded Scott.

The Mystic Falls vampire wondered who the girl on the line was while she found a clue as to why her passenger sat out the lacrosse game with the skill he showed.

"Were you..."

"No. I just suddenly felt lightheaded and disoriented, that's why I called Deaton. Don't worry, Malia, I'm fine now." The McCall interrupted the werecoyote before she could finish her question, knowing that she'd think he was either attacked or poisoned.

"Well Liam will be keeping an eye on you just in case and if anything happens I'll be there with the pack..."

"Malia..."

"No, Scott. I'm not going to lose you, if Liam knows what's good for him he'll do as I say and you'll let him." Stated the alphette, then cut the connection to not give the True Alpha the chance to say anything.

She knew Scott would do the same for her and any member of the pack, that was not only what she believed but what happened when her cousin Derek disappeared during her early days with the pack and she would do the same for him. The McCall sighed and leaned back in the passenger seat.

Though he was worried he was also touched. With every passing day Malia was regaining the empathy and compassion that years as a coyote took from her, and those she cared about were privileged enough to be exposed to her softer side, whichever form it took or she chose to show it.

While Scott took the time to center himself he didn't notice how Caroline stiffened as she heard what the alphette said, particularly one keyword; pack. It meant the seemingly heroic and lovable jock was a werewolf and that he had a pack, a pack that would come to his rescue if something happens to him.

That reminded the girl of Mason, Jules and their werewolf pack, Tyler as well and what happened the last time there was a werewolf pack in Mystic Falls, what they did to her. It also brought forth Klaus. The vampire quickly covered her reaction so that the McCall wouldn't notice it, wondering if he knew that she was a vampire.

Scott withheld a groan when he caught Caroline's chemo-signals, realizing that she eavesdropped on his phone conversation with Malia and reached some conclusions.

"Who was that? Your girlfriend?" Asked the Forbes, voice light, deciding to maintain the act if it was one and in case the werewolf didn't know that she was a vampire.

But the fact that he could kill her with just one bite was not helping her keep her cool internally.

"A close friend. I don't see myself dating anytime soon." Answered the True Alpha. "What about you? Are you dating anyone?"

"No. I'm as single as can be. So... You collapsed earlier? Is that why you weren't playing in the match?" Inquired Caroline, searching for some information and Scott knew that very well, the girl wasn't even trying to be subtle about it.

"Yes to both questions. I actually don't know what happened aside from feeling sick, but I'm alright now." Answered the boy, a moment before the Forbes stopped at her house.

She planned to inform her friends about the presence of at least two werewolves from Beacon Hills High School, Scott McCall and someone called Liam, so that they didn't cause any drama, they didn't need it with Klaus in town.


	10. Chapter 10

After Klaus left Greta moved out of Alaric Saltzman's apartment into her family's house in Mystic Falls. She noticed that there was a break in and resolved to legally claim the house on that very same day and secure it. Apart from that the witch didn't have many plans planned for her time in town and with Klaus only wanting her to keep an eye on certain people she had a lot of time on her hands.

Time she could use to make Stefan Salvatore's life a living hell while keeping him intact but there had to be more to her life than that. While the Original Hybrid was out building an army Greta wanted to build something for herself too, that was one of the reasons she joined Klaus in the first place, to carve a place for herself.

How exactly was the question. One thing she knew was that she wanted to be more powerful than her father and with full access to his grimoire library... That was a possibility she could achieve in less time compared to him, the witch just had to find something else to do with her time.

Break

"Scott McCall is a werewolf." Announced Caroline Forbes, facing Bonnie, Tyler, Elena, Stefan, Alaric and Matt.

That surprised Bonnie, Tyler, Matt and Alaric but confused Elena and Stefan. They all received messages from the vampire girl asking to meet at Elena's house and that she had some information, thinking it had something to do with Klaus they hurried only to be told about someone else.

"Whose Scott McCall?" Asked a confused Gilbert.

"One of the learners from Beacon Hills High School. I heard him collapse outside the school doors and found him passed out, sweating a lot and short of breath and brought him to the nurse's office." Informed Alaric.

"Are you sure that he's a werewolf?" Inquired Tyler, feeling like he finally understood why he fell earlier and felt at ease with the boy.

"I'm relatively sure. I mean he didn't tell me or anything, I just overheard him talking to some girl he called Malia and she seemed concerned that Scott collapsed and said that she was going to have Liam, whoever that is, keep an eye on him just in case and if anything happened she would come here with "the pack". I don't know about you but pack screams werewolf to me." Replied Caroline.

"Liam? Scott's doctor Dr Deaton told me to get Liam Dunbar, a sophomore from Beacon Hills High and a "close friend" of Scott who is apparently familiar with his medical record while I was talking to him on the phone. Does that mean Liam is a werewolf too?" Alaric supplied the information before asking his own question.

"Werewolves are social people and we feel more at ease in the company of our own kind, that's if no rivalry is established. Jules said that werewolves with packs rarely walk alone, even if they are their pack mates are always just one howl away." Revealed Tyler, feeling oddly excited.

Maybe it was the fact that he was friendly with Scott earlier or that he missed the company of fellow werewolves after Klaus killed Jules.

"Liam is probably the captain of Beacon Hills Cyclones, jersey number nine. He was moving like Scott did when he saved that bird." Said Matt, having been thinking about how he could advance his game and incorporate some of that so that he could increase his chances of getting a scholarship.

"He saved a bird?" Inquired Stefan, head tilted to the side.

"Scott interrupted a match, intercepted a definite goal for his team to save the bird, a raven, and asked if someone knew where an animal clinic was. I met him after first class and he was actually nice." Supplied Bonnie, while thinking about what she saw.

The yellow eyes made sense since they were a werewolf's eyes but the others...

"I met him too. I was running late for my second class and literally ran into him. I was actually the one who fell and he helped me up. There's something about him though I can't figure it out." Said Tyler.

"What?"

"I don't know." He answered Elena's question.

"Um, guys, which supernatural creatures have blue eyes and red eyes?" Inquired Bonnie.

Alaric and the teenagers turned their eyes on Stefan.

"What? Until recently I didn't know actual werewolves existed. I've only met vampires and witches. Where did you see blue and red eyes, Bonnie?"

"Uh, when Scott gave me back my phone our hands touched and I saw yellow, blue and red eyes amongst others." The witch answered the vampire.

"And I also saw Scott holding on a girl's body, crying. He looked younger then." She added, voice lower.

Jeremy.

"He said that he didn't see himself dating anytime soon, maybe he triggered his werewolf curse by killing his girlfriend." Said Caroline, adding things up.

"When did he say that?" Asked Stefan.

He didn't want to imagine what it would feel like killing Elena and it seemed like she caught on to his thoughts because she slid her hand into his and squeezed a bit.

"I offered him a ride to the animal clinic." Answered an uncomfortable Forbes.

Bonnie hid a smile at that along with Elena while Matt tried not to think about what he gave up.

"And..." Pushed the Bennett-Hopkins, knowing that her best friend might have gotten more out of the boy.

"He's an assistant to a veterinarian and he wouldn't mind becoming a cheerleader if it doesn't conflict with lacrosse." Said best friend revealed, proud of herself especially when she was rewarded with a chorus of... "What?" from everyone.

"Yep." She answered, an amused smile on her face.

"Apparently his school is all about equality so both girls and boys are allowed to play sports together, it's just a shame they don't have a cheerleading squad." Added Caroline.

Bonnie couldn't help but agree with her friend's comment, it really was a shame but she didn't voice that thought. The males in the room exchanged looks, not comfortable with the idea of guys being part of a cheerleading squad.

"There won't be a full moon for a while and they'll be gone even before the next full moon so we don't have much to worry about, right?" Voiced an optimistic Matt.

"As long as we don't antagonize Scott and Liam I don't think there will be any problems, I was just letting you all know." Said Caroline.

"Klaus, he might see this as an opportunity to either test my loyalty or make hybrids like himself." That was Stefan, and that was more than a might and they all knew it.

"Well then, we better make sure he doesn't find out and I don't think it'll be that hard. I didn't suspect that Scott was a werewolf until I overheard his phone call." Replied the Forbes.

"Klaus has been around for a long time, he has definitely met werewolves before and he's one of them. Tyler might not have been able to tell that Scott was a werewolf because of his lack of knowledge and experience but he was still able to sense something about him." Alaric countered.

Matt excused himself and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and escape the supernatural talk. He really missed the time the only thing he had to worry about was his sister and wayward mother.

"Then it's a good thing Klaus isn't interested in going to school and since your apartment isn't anywhere near our school they aren't likely to cross paths. I'll try to find a spell that can hide Scott and Liam's werewolf identify so that they aren't identified by supernaturals." Said Bonnie, before excusing herself, her late grandmother's house in mind.

"And I've got a job to get to." Followed Matt who was joined by Tyler who was glad that Stefan didn't act out, leaving only Elena, Caroline, Stefan and Alaric in the house.

Caroline quickly pulled Elena upstairs to her room so that they could talk, leaving the males alone.

"What do you think about this kid Scott?" Stefan asked Alaric, pouring himself and Alaric glasses of bourbon.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to him and he isn't in any of my classes, same with Liam. Nurse Monroe kicked me out of Scott's room before I could try to get some information on behalf of Dr Deaton, patient's confidentiality. But according to Bonnie, Caroline and Tyler, he seems like a nice guy if not troubled by killing his girlfriend so much that he doesn't date anymore and has a pack to back him up should he get into trouble." Answered the human, accepting his glass of whiskey.

Break

"I've asked my dad to look into anything suspicious about Mystic Falls, be it animal attacks, disappearances and weird things. Quietly. But while he's doing that, Mason, I want you, Corey and Hayden to surf the net and look for anything related to animal attacks and such that has happened in Mystic Falls in the last two years. Compile what you find and send it to Lydia and Jordan. Lydia, Jordan, you know what to do." Instructed Scott McCall, via group video call.

He updated them on what was happening in Mystic Falls and that at least Caroline Forbes suspects that he's a werewolf along with Liam, not to mention the werewolf he met and Bonnie Bennett and what he saw when their hands touched. Liam informed everyone about the conversation they overhead during lunch about how a student's journalist sister was suspicious and that was one of the reasons the True Alpha wanted Hayden Corey and Mason to surf the net, just in case.

"What do you want me to... Um, why is there a bird in your room?" Asked Malia, first asking for her order but upon seeing a black bird in Scott and Liam's background she addressed that instead.

"Whose room?" Everyone inquired since the werecoyote didn't specify.

"Scott and Liam's." She specified.

The two turned around and indeed there was a bird in their room, resting on the Tribrid's bed.

"Isn't that the raven you saved earlier?" Asked Liam, weirded out especially when it looked at him.

"Uh... I think so." Answered the McCall standing up.

"Wait, you asked me for information on ravens the other day. Was that because you wanted to get bird for a pet?" Inquired Lydia, a moment before they all heard Prada bark.

"I think this raven has been following me around for a while now, I didn't think much of it at first until recently." Replied the True Alpha, lowering himself to look at the 'sleeping' bird.

"A Raven has been following you around? Oh my God! When did you first see it?" Questioned an excited Mason.

Scott retreated back to his chair, wanting to hear what the human had to say.

"After my mother revived me, while I was working on getting the pack back together. Why?" Responded the Vampire Tribrid.

"Oh my God." This time the Hewitt whispered in shock.

"Get to the point, Mason." Said an annoyed Lydia.

"Oh, sorry. It's just... It seems like you have a raven as your spirit animal. See, ravens as spirit and/or totem animals are said to be great teachers, guides and partners. They are associated with introspection, healing, magic, rebirth and renewal, shape shifting, transformation and transmutation, finding light within darkness, divination, amplifying powers of observation, protection, messengers, truth and life and death, amongst other things.

It's more than likely that that raven has been watching you from the start and has witnessed the pack break down before your death and rebuild after your revival. It's said that ravens bring change when they appear as spirit animals and I think that's exactly what this one brought in your life and by extension ours as well.

Saving the raven was probably a test of sort, maybe the final test, a test that you obviously passed since the raven is sleeping on your bed. Meaning you've probably earned yourself a partner." Monologued Mason, passion in his voice and light in his eyes.

"A raven as a spirit animal and a partner... Hmm... You know, a raven animal totem is sometimes called the Keeper of Secrets, especially when they are associated with gods and goddesses, delivering messages for them." Added a thoughtful banshee.

They all looked at the raven in the background for a few moments, considering. They have all seen weird things before to totally take out the possibility that Mason was correct, and considering that there were a pack of different supernatural people they couldn't rule out even the weirdest of things.

"Uh, Malia, I need you to ask Deaton to sent me vervain for the team, that was one of the things I was calling him about." Said Scott, deciding to not dwell on Belasko right now.

"Got it." Responded Malia.

"Alright, talk tomorrow, guys. True Alpha signing out."

"Alpha signing out."

"The Pack signing out!"

Later that night Scott and his familiar discussed the possibilities of what Mason said and celebrated the fact that Raven1's plan worked even better than initially intended while Liam slept.

Break

"I didn't know you were coming to school today." Said Bonnie to Elena.

"I couldn't stay one more day inside the house and Stefan wanted to check out what we talked about yesterday and I didn't want to be left alone. Did you find the spell?" Responded the Gilbert, standing by the witch's locker in the morning before first class.

"Yeah, kind of. It's a potion but it isn't permanent, it'll last for maybe a day. The problem will be getting Scott and Liam to drink it."

"To drink what?" Caroline suddenly asked, right beside the two girls, startling them.

"Caroline!" They reacted.

"Sorry. Now, what were you two talking about?"

"I found a potion that can hide a supernatural's aura from other supernaturals, the problem is getting the aforementioned people to drink it."

"That could be a problem, especially with their sense of smell." Agreed the vampire.

"Mason, if you don't stop asking me about the raven I'll take over your training when I get back and believe me, that's not something you want, not when you wake me up an hour and a half before the usual time I wake up." The girls overhead someone say and Bonnie and Caroline identified him as Scott McCall.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I couldn't sleep and-I'm stopping." Caroline heard a male's voice say on the other line before the call ended, a moment later the vampire along with her witch and doppelgangers friends saw Scott and Liam walking on the other side of the hallway.

"So, are you going to keep Spirit?" Asked Liam.

"Who is Spirit?" Inquired Scott.

"Mason calls the raven Spirit."

"Mas... I gave up captaincy so that I could have less responsibilities this semester and focus more on school work and graduation, adopting a pet will just add to those responsibilities." Replied the True Alpha.

"Well it doesn't seem like Spirit will leave you alone anytime soon." Responded the Dunbar, and he was right though he didn't know that his alpha didn't really want Raven1 to leave.

"Hey, Scott." Greeted Caroline, having dragged her friends to the two boys and earned their attention.

Liam's nose twitched as he picked up new scents; one he easily identified as human, the others were harder to place but using what Scott told him he identified the girl who greeted Scott as Caroline Forbes the vampire and the other that wasn't really human as Bonnie Bennett the witch.

"Hi." The True Alpha returned the greeting a moment before he felt drawn to something and his eyes immediately followed, zoning out everything around.

Caroline proceeded to introduce Elena to the two members of the McCall Pack and when she was done and expecting Scott to introduce Liam and her and Bonnie to the boy she found that his attention wasn't on her but on... Elena's chest and she wasn't the only one that took notice. The insecurities the girl thought she buried concerning Elena made themselves known at that moment.

While the others took notice of the True Alpha's line of sight, the Gilbert felt her pendant warm up, something it has never done before, at least since Stefan gave it to her. Talking about Stefan, he'd just turned a corner when he saw some boy staring at Elena's chest quite openly and the girl was also looking at her chest with some level of curiosity.

With Damon gone the vampire had thought that he was done with jealousy but now... He saw himself move quickly to get the boy to stop staring so rudely at his girlfriend's chest.

One moment Bonnie and Caroline saw Stefan appear before them followed by his arm going to Scott's shoulder to probably get him to stop staring at Elena's chest and the next they, along with Elena, saw and heard Stefan's face and front meet the lockers with a semi loud bang sound, Scott and Liam standing behind him, the former holding the back of the Salvatore's neck while the latter had the vampire in a shoulder lock.

If the werewolf and Werewolf Tribrid were facing people those people would have see yellow and red glowing eyes respectively but luckily that wasn't the case. Stefan groaned a little at the impact and pressure applied by the pack mates, he was sure he heard two low growls when he tried to free himself.

Before the situation could escalate or anything could be said Alaric appeared and asked Liam and Scott to let Stefan go before following that up with asking all the three boy and the three girls to follow him. The students that witnessed some of what happened and began to gather around dispersed.

"Anyone care to tell me what happened?" Asked the vampire hunter once they were all in his class.

Scott and Liam looked at Stefan to answer while they took note of his smell being similar to Caroline's, identifying him as a vampire. It seemed a bit embarrassing for the Salvatore to reply with that he got a little jealous and maybe over reacted only for the other two boys to overreact too so his fellow vampire took it upon herself to explain since it didn't seem like Elena was aware, having been staring at her chest too.

"I was introducing Elena to Scott and his friend when Scott stared at Elena's breasts, I'm assuming Stefan saw and got jealous so he tried to stop Scott's staring but found himself against the lockers when he approached him and you came before anything more could happen." Explained Caroline.

"I wasn't staring at her breasts." The McCall refused the claim but it didn't seem like anybody believed him, even Liam. "I'm serious, I wasn't staring at her breasts. I was only looking at her..."

He paused when he saw the Gilbert's face for the first time, having been too focused on her necklace before. She looked exactly like the vampire girl he technically killed the first day he arrived in Mystic Falls and that led the Tribrid to assume that they were identical twins.

"Well now you're staring at her face." Commented the Forbes girl, a little bite to her tone.

"Um... Sorry. I-Uh... I was looking at her necklace. There's just something familiar about it, it feels familiar." Said the True Alpha, eyes falling on it once again and like before Elena felt it become warm.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes as it felt like there was magic at work and she was reminded of Emily Bennett's talisman and the feeling she had when she first met Lucy Martin, her cousin.

"Stefan gave it to be." Responded the Gilbert, holding the warm pendant in her hand as it became a little too warm for her skin.

She didn't say anything about it warming up when the McCall was focusing on it, wanting to talk with her friends first, more so the person who gave it to her, Stefan Salvatore who felt a little embarrassed for overreacting.

But at least he found out that the Beacon Hills werewolves were quick to act when they felt one of them was threatened and they weren't gentle about it.

Alaric sighed, hoping the necklace wouldn't become an issue and cause trouble, there were still a few days left before Beacon Hills Cyclones could leave.

"Well then is there a problem between you three?" He asked, looking at the boys.

"I don't think so." Replied Scott, taking his eyes off the necklace, not realizing that if he had focused on it for a few more moments it would have burned Elena, and to the over a decade old teenager who echoed a similar response.

The Saltzman allowed the McCall and Dunbar to leave and was left with those that he was more familiar with but not before asking how Scott was and the boy thanked him for helping him out once he learned that he was the teacher that got him to the nurse's office.

"Wow, I didn't know that werewolves were that fast." Commented Bonnie.

"Fast and strong. I couldn't move and when I tried they increased their grip." Said Stefan, flexing his sore shoulder and neck.

"Are you OK?" Asked Elena, concerned.

The Salvatore nodded, glad that she wasn't mad at him for overreacting.

"Good but don't put yourself in danger like that again, Stefan. What if they bit you?" She added, not liking the idea of loosing him even though werewolves "couldn't" shape-shift without the full moon

"Where did you get the necklace, Stefan?" Inquired Bonnie, wanting to get to the bottom of its connection to Scott McCall.

"I found it in Chicago in the early 1920s. Why?" Responded the vampire.

"I'm pretty sure that necklace reacted to Scott. Magically." Replied the witch.

"What does that mean?" Asked Alaric, leaning forward in his chair.

"I think it may be a long lost family heirloom with a spell that makes it recognize a specific lineage, in this case Scott's and he felt a connection with it like I did when I met Lucy. An unexplainable familiarity." Said Bonnie.

"So that's why the longer he focused on it the warmer it became." Was Elena's conclusion.

That caused them all to pause.

"It became warmer the longer he looked at it?" Asked Caroline.

"Yeah. That's why I held it in my hand and the moment he looked away from it it cooled down." Answered the Gilbert.

Stefan didn't have to think much about the necklace because if it hurt Elena it had to go, though it was ultimately her decision to either keep it or not.

Before more could be said the bell rang, indicating that the first class of the day was about to begin with learners pouring into the class. The group heard a few whispers that were not so low about what happened in the hallway while they each went to their own classes. It seemed like a rumor was developing, well more than one rumor.

Break

As the day went Scott wondered why there wasn't any mention of Elena's twin or even a missing person report. He only heard about her brother recently dying but nothing about a sister. Apart from that the Tribrid was glad that he knew more people who were in Bonnie's group; Bonnie Bennett herself, Caroline Forbes, Elena Gilbert, Stefan Salvatore and apparently the History teacher Alaric Saltzman.

A witch, two vampires and two humans. On top of that one of the humans Elena had something that the Witch Tribrid couldn't take his mind off of, there was just something oddly familiar about the necklace even though the boy was certain he has never seen it before.

"Did you hear?" Scott overheard as he walked to the cafeteria.

"What?" The other person responded.

"I heard that Stefan caught Elena flirting with that guy who saved a bird yesterday, McCall, and when Stefan tried to get into the guy's face McCall and the Captain of Beacon Hills Cyclones put him in his place."

"Really? Wow! Maybe Elena's trying to cope with her brother's death by cheating on Stefan."

The True Alpha ignored the rest of the gossip, having heard a few too inaccurate versions of what happened already.

"So, you're back on the market, McCall?" Asked Diaz after Scott sat down at their table.

"Back on the market?"

"Come on, Scott. I saw you leaving the school with that chick yesterday and today there's this rumor about you flirting with her friend. What did you say their names were?" Said Diaz before he asked a local lacrosse player across from him.

"Caroline and Elena."

"Caroline and Elena. It's about time you start living, man."

Before Scott could respond his phone vibrated and taking a look at it he saw that it was Dr Deaton. He nodded at Liam who just joined the table before he left, heading to a quieter place. On the other side of the cafeteria Bonnie too received a call though from her father. She excused herself to answer it, leaving her friends to discuss how to brainstorm ideas for getting Scott and Liam to drink the potion.

Break

Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson wondered why he left Greta in Mystic Falls when the relative quiet got too much. His greatest fear aside from his abusive stepfather was being alone although he wouldn't admit it to anyone and he was currently all alone in the truck, his half siblings' bodies in the back in their coffins.

The man thought about waking one of them to keep him company but none of them were in good terms with him when he neutralized them. He left Finn daggered for about nine centuries because his oldest half brother was after death, believing them all to be monsters, abominations of nature. Aside from that Klaus wanted to led the family but so did Finn and Elijah. Elijah...

The Original Hybrid was conflicted when it came to his other older. While he was mostly indifferent to Finn he sort of enjoyed having Elijah around but that was only when Elijah was on his side with, not when the man was working against him or nagging him about redemption and whatnot.

Klaus found Kol to be rather annoying and frustrating because that boy was the most impulsive and uncontrollable of them all and that was saying something. It didn't help that Kol's last act before Klaus daggered him was trying to create a dagger that could neutralize the Original Hybrid just like the ones that worked on the Original Vampires. The nerve.

That brought the man to his last half sibling, the only female Original Vampire, Rebekah. She was the closest one to Klaus and when she chose Stefan over him... The man didn't take that lightly and daggered her before compelling Stefan Salvatore to forget about about them and the time they spent in Chicago. Rebekah and Klaus spent sometime in Chicago in the early 1920s and met Stefan there.

Rebekah and Stefan began dating while Klaus and Stefan became friends which made the girl happy since her half brother wasn't so welcoming to those she dated and that was an understatement. All her brothers actually but mostly Klaus who thought love was a weakness and took every chance he got to ruin any of Rebeka's romantic relationships, particularly those that seemed a little too serious for his liking. 

Over the centuries that made the ancient girl fall in love quite easily and develop some insecurities due to some of her lover choosing to be inside Klaus' inner circle than continue dating her. Trust didn't come that easy for Rebekah or any of the members of my he Mikaelson family.

The Original Hybrid knew that though he wanted to 'wake' Rebekah and reunite her with Stefan, he risked that she might choose the Salvatore over him but that possibility was going to end with Stefan Salvatore dead this time, even if he was a good wingman and quite creative.

He wanted his sister by his side when he finally kills Mikael the Destroyer and build a new kingdom to rule over, a new start without Mikael to fear. The very thought raised Klaus' mood. He ended up calling Greta to give her orders to relay to Stefan. 

Break

After ending their individual phone calls Bonnie and Scott met in the hallway and things were a bit awkward.

"Hey, Bonnie. Um, sorry about earlier." Apologized the McCall.

He reacted on reflex when Stefan tried to put his hand on his shoulder.

"You didn't do anything to me, Scott." Replied the girl.

"I still feel like I should apolo..." Scott was interrupted when a boy from a group of some members of Mystic Falls High School Football Team fooling around near them 'accidentally' bumped into the McCall and poured his soft drink all over him, some even getting on Bonnie.

"Hey, lacrosse loser, you know you're going to have to pay for making me spill my drink, right?" Commented the football jock, who was also a senior at the high school and had an imposing body frame.

"What?" Was the Tribrid's response.

"You heard me. Or do you need a little motivation?" Replied the jock, pushing Scott's shoulder, trying to intimidate him to the cheers of his clique.

"Don't touch me." Warned the True Alpha.

Bonnie took notice of how his hands were in tight fists and assumed it was to keep his innate werewolf aggression in control so she stepped between him and the jock.

"Leave Scott alone, Chad. You're the one who bumped into him, not the other way around." Said the girl, trying to end things before they could escalate.

"I thought his name was Benchwarmer." Commented one of the friends of the jock the Bennett called Chad, causing another round of laughter from the group.

Before anything more could be said though Scott sidestepped Bonnie and came face to face with Chad, and unknown to the girl, he locked eyes with the jock to initiate compulsion. There were other methods he could have used to end the conflict but compulsion won out.

"You have ten seconds to sincerely apologize to Bonnie and I, and get out my sight before I embarrass you so bad you'll be the laughing stock of the whole school if not town." He compelled.

To Bonnie and everyone's surprise, Chad blinked a few times before...

"I'm so sorry for intentionally bumping into you, Scott, and pouring my drink all over you and Bonnie. I'm really sorry, Bonnie." He apologized, voice and expression sincere before he ran out of the Vampire Tribrid's sight, embarrassed with a healthy dose of respect and fear for the boy who stood up to him though he didn't understand why he apologized so sincerely without a fight.

That was what had Chad afraid. Well that and the feeling of an apex predator with its sight set on him. He didn't understand why when he was taller and more built than Scott, not to mention he had his friends.

But that didn't matter because something told him to get out of the boy's sight after apologizing and that's exactly what he did, leaving his clique confused, not knowing what to do. None of them thought that was how things would play out.

"What just happened?" Bonnie voiced the question that was on every witness's mind, brows furrowed.

"Some bullies know when to back off." Replied Scott with a light smile and a shrug, ignoring the incredulous looks everyone gave him.

The witch thought that the boy probably glowed his wolf eyes to scare Chad.

"Sorry about your shirt. I can borrow you my extra one if you want." Added the Tribrid, entirely ignoring Chad's friends who were angered by the dismissal though they left.

Bonnie's initial response was to refuse but upon seeing the state of her shirt...

"What about you?" She asked.

"I'll ask Liam to borrow me his extra one." Replied Scott, and together they went to get the shirt while the boy mentally asked Raven1 to bring him a shirt at school.


	11. Chapter 11

With some time still left before break could be over, Liam decides to leave the cafeteria early so that he could call Hayden. The very thought of the girl brought a smile to the boy's face. He excused himself from the rest of the group, glad to escape questions concerning his alpha's love life and apparently player-ness.

The boy crossed with Bonnie at the door, though she didn't notice him, and did a double take. What caught his attention was a very distinct scent from the girl. See, Melissa McCall used only one brand of fabric softener and it was only made in Beacon Hills and not common outside Beacon County, adding that to the fact that Bonnie was wearing a different shirt earlier with a completely different smell while the one she was wearing now looked like one of Scott's...

Plus her hair was a little messy... Liam began to wonder if there was some truth to the rumors and Diaz's comments. He knew Scott wasn't a saint. A true alpha? Yes. A saint? No. The beta thought about Caroline's jealousy from earlier and the rumors going around the school and what Diaz said.

That very thought was interrupted when his phone vibrated and one look at it told the Dunbar that Hayden was the one calling but before he could answer the call Penelope, a girl from one of his classes at the school, suddenly appeared in front of him and placed a finger on his lips while her other hand went to his back pocket (something that made the boy jump in surprise) to slip in a piece of paper with her phone number written on it. She leaned in close and...

"Call me if you want to have some fun." She said, rather seductively before running her finger from Liam's lips down to his chest then went for his arm and left.

Making sure to add a little something to her movements while she walked away, certain she had the Beacon Hills boy's attention.

"Hayden is going to kick your ass if you call that girl." Gwen suddenly appeared beside the beta who had been watching Penelope walk away, startling the boy who swallowed hard at Gwen's words.

Hayden was a lot of things and one of them was vindictive when done wrong and the werewolf didn't want to be on her bad side again nor was he planning to cheat on her.

"I'm not going to call her." Said Liam, before he nervously answered the werejaguar-werewolf's phone call.

Gwen just hummed and continued on her way.

Break

While seated at the table in the cafeteria with Caroline and Elena, Stefan received a text message from Greta telling him to meet her outside the school later that afternoon. With Klaus having given the order to protect her the vampire assumed that was what the meeting was about and told his companions as much.

When Bonnie returned to the table Caroline did a double take, noticing that her witch friend was wearing a different shirt with a belt around the waist so it didn't just flow because it was bigger on her body, but with the jeans the girl was wearing it was a nice look. Adding the messy hair...

That thought was shot down by the lipstick that was perfectly in place on the Bennett's lips. The Forbes sighed, having thought for a moment that her friend finally lost her virginity or at least found a distraction.

"Whose shirt is that?" She asked instead, sure that it was a boy's shirt.

Elena who had been a little lost in thought over her necklace and it's possible history and connection to a certain 'werewolf' and Stefan who just realized that Greta might discover the visiting werewolves gave their attention to the two girls.

"It's Scott's." Answered Bonnie, a little uncomfortable with the attention her friends were giving her especially after her answer.

"Scott's?" Elena and Caroline asked in unison, leaning forward while Stefan looked at where the lacrosse teams sat to find the boy and Liam absent.

A part of the Salvatore doubted the McCall was only looking at Elena's necklace, more so after seeing the 'werewolf' staring at her.

"Yeah, Scott's." Said the Bennett-Hopkins.

She proceeded to tell her friends what happened. Tyler who was sitting a few tables away with Matt heard the whole thing and he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Chad being the one embarrassed for once. As good a football player the human was, he was also a bully but karma in the form of Scott McCall finally caught up to him and the Lockwood was sure a lot of people were very happy.

Matt asked his werewolf friend what had him chuckling and after being informed he joined him, though both boys didn't forget the rumors that were going around.

Break

When Stefan got out of school he found Greta already waiting for him outside, a smile on her face.

"What do you want?" Asked the vampire, not beating around the bush.

"Don't worry about what I want, worry about orders from your new boss. Klaus wants you to compel two students to come with us for a ride; a boy and a girl. You have five minutes to choose whoever you want and compel them or I'll choose for you." Replied the Martin, her smile broadening.

A half a moment was all the Salvatore needed to guess what had the girl so happy and he couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut nor the anticipation he didn't want to acknowledge. That's until he caught on to witch's wording, they were tricky with those.

If he didn't choose who the victims were going to be, she was and Stefan didn't doubt for a second that she would choose those in his inner circle who were vulnerable to ordinary vampire compulsion; Elena and Matt. With a heavy heart, he chose and did as he was expected to do; compel his chosen victims to ride with them, using the sea of teenagers and cars to make sure no one saw those victims leaving school grounds with them... Or so he thought.

From a little out of sight for Greta and Stefan watched Liam Dunbar. He only got to see and hear the vampire compel the students, look around and leave with them but he didn't need more to know that those students were most likely doomed to never be heard from again so he immediately sought out his alpha. Along with Liam watched Raven5, designated to watch over him after Belasko became Scott's familiar instead of being just an observer. 

Break

"Hey, Lydia. I'm going to need your Maths notes again. Theorems this time." Said Malia, happy that they weren't given homework today.

She planned to go straight home and practice her least favorite subject, she had to so that her friends didn't leave her behind but that was the thing. While Lydia and Scott knew what they wanted to do with their lives the Tate didn't. One thing she did though was that she wasn't going to do summer classes and the only way to ensure that was to study.

Though Natalie Martin could be annoying with her ignoring the existence of the supernatural, that woman did have a point in that they should take their senior year seriously, especially the alphette because of how special her high school career was.

What with her having spend eight years away from civilization and all it entailed, but it helped that the girl was naturally an intellectual person. Something that was taken into consideration to be accepted in Beacon Hills High School and she continued to prove. Not everyone who has gone through what she has would be able to obtain Cs and Ds in Mathematics and some still struggled to get those with normal lives.

Lydia borrowed her werecoyote friend the notes she wanted before they went their separate ways. While Malia was going to study, the banshee was going to look over the research Corey, Mason and Hayden compiled and then send Scott those that she thought were more relevant to what he wanted. Well, half of it since Jordan had the other half. Jordan...

The banshee stopped herself before she could think more about the hellhound. Instead, she watched as her alphette drove away. Not long after Malia hit the road she received a phone call from a phone number she didn't recognize and thought about not answering but ended up answering, using her car Bluetooth for hands-free.

"Who are you?" Was her greeting, and as usual she didn't beat around the bush, catching the caller off guard.

"Er... I am Neo Mokoena. An attorney and I'm looking for Malia Tate. Might you be her?" Responded Neo, more than positive she found the person she was looking for after the greeting.

"Why would you be looking for me?" Asked Malia.

"I take it you're Malia Tate?" The attorney inquired for confirmation to which the girl responded positively. "Ms Tate I believe that you're aware that you were born Malia Hale to Peter Hale and a woman known as the Desert Wolf and less known as Corrine..."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, Ms Tate, being that Corrine passed away without an official Will or a known next of kin aside from you as her daughter, a judge has seen fit to appoint you as her sole heir and it is my duty to see to it that you receive your inheritance as Corrine's attorney." Informed the Mokoena.

"I don't want anything from that woman." Lowly growled Malia, tightening her grip on the wheel and speed up.

Tiny sparks of electricity slowly began to appear along her arms, eyes glowing alpha red.  
"And I understand why. The judge also took that into consideration and he hoped the inheritance would compensate for what Corrine did and give you resources to help you cope. He also opened a minor investigation to see the effects of Corrine's actions on the McCalls and Stilinskis.

As a result before the sum of your inheritance was reached deductions were made for the two affected families. Before you give up your inheritance, Ms Tate, please remember that you're in the last semester of your senior year and that you're just starting to live your life.

Don't blindly throw away what could open doors for you because of what Corrine did, instead use it to live the life that she tried to take away from you, the life she took from your friend." Neo's words broke through the alpha werecoyote before her powers got out of control.

She decided to get off the road to think and think she did. The attorney knew her words struck a chord or a few so she was patient and waited. After getting her thoughts a little clearer Malia accepted and drove home with a lot on her mind. After the call ended Neo looked at a woman who was sitting across from her in her office.

"Satisfied?" She asked.

"Very." Answered the woman, placing a briefcase on the table and opened it to reveal a lot of money.

"It is a pleasure doing business with you, Sofya Voronova." Said Neo, accepting the cash.

Sofya Voronova, a vampire of more than five centuries, couldn't help the smirk on her face as she left Neo Mokoena's office. It seemed like everything was going according to plan. Someone might have stalled them with killing the Desert Wolf but now they were guaranteed.

Break

Greta drove in silence, heading to the woods with Stefan and their two victims. She planned to leave the vampire in the woods to dispose the bodies after he's done draining them dry of their blood. The method he will use to do that will give her an idea of how his mind works for future plans. He would either leave the bodies where they would be found or make them disappear, either way the witch would learn something about him.

When they arrived at a place Greta deemed perfect they all got out and she expectedly looked at Stefan who swallowed hard and turned his sight on his compelled fellow schoolmates. Eyes locked on his prey, the Salvatore exposed his true nature and went to attack but...

"Wait." The witch stopped the vampire at the last moment and though he did stop, the predator in him was closer to the surface than the 'human'.

"What?" Asked an irate Stefan, he could hear the blood pumping throughout his soon to be victims' bodies, promising quite a meal.

"This is too simple for the notorious Ripper of Monterey, don't you think? I think Klaus made it clear that he wants the ripper, not the pathetic excuse for a vampire you've been pretending to be for Elena's sake. She's not here so she won't know if you allow yourself to indulge a little, I hear predators like to hunt their prey, and I'll report back and say that you were a good little boy. Win-win." Said Greta, a smile on her face.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Commented Stefan, taking a moment to mentally prepare himself.

Her emphasis on the word 'hunt' made it clear that she wanted him to hunt the humans before them, compel them to try their best to escape and go after them. He should have guessed as much when she brought them to the woods.

"You have no idea." Replied the Martin, motioning him to go ahead already.

Greta only had a moment to see Stefan approach the humans only for the thinnest of wind to pick up then his head suddenly twisted in a way it shouldn't with a resounding snap and his body hit the ground, clearly dead, before she released a short gasp from a sudden blow to the head and her own world went dark.

With the Salvatore dead his compulsion broke and the boy and girl he had compelled were released from their compulsion and began to panic as they saw Greta and Stefan on the ground and a boy with glowing yellow eyes and what looked to be fangs and claws standing over Greta, but a moment before the situation really registered Scott appeared before them and began to implement his own compulsion.

"Forget everything that happened after a second before you saw Stefan Salvatore approach you, including what you saw after his compulsion wore off and replace those memories with memories that mirror a normal day after school when you wake up. Now sleep." He compelled both humans before he looked at Liam.

"I'll be back." Said the witch-vampire-werewolf tribrid then disappeared with the humans to drop them off somewhere safe.

Liam stood blinking, shifting to human form, as it was the first time he saw Scott use compulsion, the boy wasn't sure if any of the pack has ever witnessed it, not even the mass compulsion at the school and if any of them did it would be the older generation.

The Dunbar didn't know that the True Alpha's first compulsion victim was Malia whom he unknowingly compelled to acknowledge that her involvement in her adoptive mother and sister's deaths was something she couldn't really control, especially at her age. It didn't take long for Scott to return and when he did he couldn't help but sigh.

"Are you OK?" He asked his beta.

"Yeah. It's just... Weird." Answered the werewolf.

The McCall nodded then looked at Greta and Stefan. They only heard the tail end of the conversation from a distance, something about a win-win, but the whole situation didn't paint the unconscious witch and temporarily dead vampire in good light at all and by association; Alaric, Bonnie, Caroline and Elena.

"What are we going to do about them? Kill them?" Inquired Liam.

"I don't know yet but we need to get back to school before anyone notices we're not there for practice." Responded Scott, trying to come up with a temporary solution until he recalled a set of spells his mentor Dr Deaton taught him.

They were a variation of a druid spell that Alan Deaton once used to force Kali to transform back to her human form when she threatened Marin, effectively depowering and neutralizing her. The druid taught them to the Witch Tribrid because violence wasn't always the answer but sometimes people weren't willing to be civil and needed to be brought down to a level that would force them to listen.

"Go back to school and cover for me while I think of something. We'll talk later." Ordered the True Alpha, and Liam didn't protest.

He left even as he wondered if his alpha was going to kill the woman and Stefan. Scott waited a few moments, listening for his beta's footsteps before he went to work.

Break

Liam arrived at school just in time as the teams were just going to the field. Looking at the bleachers, he saw that the werewolf Scott bumped into the other day was among the spectators which included Caroline, Elena and Bonnie though unlike the last time they were sitting together along with another boy, something that gained the Dunbar's attention.

If they were a group, a pack or coven, according to his count there would be about eight known or suspected members, with the fate of two currently being decided by Scott. A few minutes later everything was set for practice and just before they began the McCall arrived and successfully sneaked past the coaches to join his team, eliciting chuckles from the spectators. 

Break

Malia Tate sat on her bed with books all around her but her mind was elsewhere. The inheritance. She had doubts about accepting it considering where it came from but she could see its usefulness. It helped that Melissa and Sheriff Stilinski had a cut and though it wouldn't do much for the latter it would help the former, what with the shooting that occurred at her house and insurance.

While the girl contemplating she received an email for a meeting concerning the inheritance with Neo Mokoena on Friday along with Henry Tate since she was still in high school. That gave her pause because she never gave Neo her email address and now that she thought about it, nor phone number... 

Break

Greta and Stefan woke up with a headache for the former and a sore throat and neck for the latter, both confused. Stefan didn't remember what happened aside from moving to approach his would be victims so he looked to Greta for answers.

"Someone attacked us. I think. They were too fast for me to see but before I was knocked out I saw you hit the ground after your neck was snapped." She said, cautiously looking around. "Quite a bodyguard you are."

The vampire chose not to comment on that, pretty sure that she was going to report to Klaus about his 'failure' to protect her.

"What now?" He asked instead, and they both thought about the two learners that were nowhere to be seen.

"Since you're no use as a bodyguard, go look for your preys and make sure if they weren't taken by our mysterious attacker, you continue what you never finished." Replied Greta, opening her car door.

She planned to get a few candles out to help cast a spell that could help her find the perpetrator(s) that dared interfere with Klaus' plans and something told her it wasn't just one person. Stefan swallowed his reply and turned to super run around the woods to check if the learners were around since it didn't seem like much time passed.

He did run but to his confusion and worry, there was nothing super about the run. His speed was human ordinary, and that made him stop.

"Do you need an incentive, Stefan?" Asked Greta, annoyed while looking for the box that contained the candles.

"I... Something's wrong. I can't run any faster." He said, and began analysing himself as the Martin turned towards him.

"What do you mean by that?" She questioned, confused.

Break

Even though months have passed, Sheriff Noah Stilinski still felt the absence of his son. Every single day. And today was no different. The man questioned his ability to protect Beacon County every now and then because he wasn't able to protect Stiles.

It seemed to him the kids could protect the county better than him and the entire sheriff station, what with them getting rid of a resurrected monster, abnormal scientists, psychotic chimeras, assassins, dark kitsune and the list went on, with the end not in sight.

Noah smiled a little as he remembered Stiles tell him that Scott was the Sworn Protector of Beacon Hills, it was a pity the boy wasn't interested in law enforcement. Well, traditional law enforcement. But that was alright since Jordan was around. Everytime the Stilinski doubted himself he always saw that young man as his replacement and no other.

The fact that the boy was a member of the McCall Pack was a bit of a problem because of the conflict of interest that was sure to occur in some situations but Noah couldn't fool himself by pretending that was never the case for him since Stiles was a member of the Pack.

The whole situation with Melissa calling him because there was a body with Kira Yukimura's katana buried in it in her house was an example of such a situation and being a straight forward law enforcer, ignoring what he already knew about supernaturals even after Melissa warned him, sure didn't win him any points with her, the Yukimuras or the Pack, nor did it earn him anything at the sheriff station because Ken Yukimura took the blame for his daughter and the evidence disappeared, voiding the case.

Noah didn't know what he was thinking at the time... OK, that was a lie. He just felt powerless, having children running around and doing the job that you were supposed to be doing did that to a person and the whole thing with Peter Hale during the Dead Pool problem didn't sit well with the law enforcement officer.

The omega werewolf did whatever he liked and never paid the price, killing the Mute in front of the County Sheriff being one of the things that man did and never paid for. Yes, that didn't sit well with Noah and ultimately got him to try and make Kira pay for her crime without knowing the full details, maybe as an example to other supernaturals.

Things didn't go as planned and the man was glad. The young ones were the future even though they were already the present. Stiles might be gone but his friends, his pack was still around and Beacon Hills still standing. So when the human arrived at home to find an envelope with a cheque along with a letter addressing the decision of the court and everything, he didn't tear it up.

Noah thought about doing what he has been holding off for a while now and maybe go an extra mile, he knew Stiles would have approved of it. 

Break

Elena, Caroline and Bonnie watched as the lacrosse teams practiced, sitting with Matt and Tyler. The coaches had mixed the teams, half of each, and had them play against each other and every ten minutes a few players changed teams and played for the other. When they took a break Bonnie finally found her solution.

"Guys, I think I just found a way to get them to drink the potion." She said, and when they looked at her in question she just pointed them at the water bottle and cups on a table the players were at.

"They have to drink water every now and then, before, during or after practice. I can just spike the water and enchant the potion to only pour in Scott and Liam's cups as supernaturals." Explained the witch.

"Or you could just tell them you know that they're werewolves and that a very old vampire who happens to be one of the first to ever exist and a werewolf could be after them if he discovers their presence." Voiced Matt.

"How do you think they would react to that?" Asked Caroline.

"I don't know. But I'm pretty sure better than they would if they find out about the plan to make them drink the potion without their knowledge." He said, then excused himself.

They all had to admit that the Donovan had a point but they also didn't know how the two would react, werewolves were rather hotheaded after all.

"I guess Matt is right. I will talk to them after practice." Was Bonnie's decision.

"I'll go with you." Volunteered Tyler, looking at her.

Since Scott was familiar with her enough to borrow her his shirt, the werewolf thought she was the perfect person to properly introduce him to Scott and as fellow werewolves the meeting might go well.

Before Caroline and Elena could add their voices the former received a call from Stefan asking her to pick him up somewhere in the woods where Greta left him, telling her that he would explain when they meet and to be careful.

Bonnie, Caroline, Elena and Tyler wondered why the Salvatore would need to be picked up when he could just run and the only female vampire of the group decided to leave with the doppelganger. They all decided to meet at the Salvatore house later to update each other.

Break

"Let me know when you find them." Klaus said to Greta over the phone before ending the call after she gave him a troubling but interesting report.

Apparently there was an attack on her and Stefan in the woods that ended up with the former losing access to his powers... But he wasn't the only one. Greta found that she couldn't cast spells anymore or feel her magic when she tried to find clues about their attackers at the site of the attack.

Attackers because they suspected a vampire was working with a witch, with the former temporarily killing Stefan and the later knocking out the Martin and stripping them of their powers.

According to Greta, the vampire was the fastest she's seen, something that earned the Original Hybrid's interest along with the witch or warlock who stripped off Greta and Stefan's powers. He wanted to meet and maybe recruit them but if they refused...

Well, they would be threats and threats were not allowed to live. A thought passed that Bonnie Bennett was the witch but as much as that girl was a powerhouse Klaus doubted her involvement.

But for now, the vampire-werewolf hybrid focused on building his army. He already received a rather promising tip-off and couldn't help the anticipation of getting his own pack, dedicated and loyal only to him.

Break

Bonnie and Tyler waited for Liam and Scott outside the front school doors after practice and when they got out the two immediately approached them. The True Alpha's first bitten beta prepared himself when he saw Bonnie and Tyler, Scott hasn't informed him on what he did with Stefan and the woman who he said was a witch so the boy was just being cautious and the alpha couldn't blame him.

They two groups greeted one another, with the Bennett-Hopkins introducing Tyler and Scott Liam before the witch asked that they talk. The four returned back inside the school building and Scott chose a class at random, choosing to chose the venue since Tyler and Bonnie chose the time. With Bonnie and Tyler standing side by side and Liam just a little behind Scott's side the witch began.

"We know that you're werewolves." Were her words which caught Scott and Liam off guard but not entirely unprepared.

"Really?" Asked the McCall, lacing his voice with a bit of humor.

"Yes. And I'm a witch and Tyler is also a werewolf." Responded the witch, and seeing that the boys were just humoring and not acknowledging her...

"Motus." Cast Bonnie, interrupting Scott before he could say anything by using a telekinetic spell to bring a book that was on the other side of the room to her hand.

"Alright, acknowledged. But why are you exposing yourselves to us?" He questioned after the display.

"What do you know about the very first vampires, the Original Vampires?" Asked Tyler instead.

Both members of the McCall Pack tensed at that.

"Original Vampires?" Inquired Liam.

He knew about them since Scott told the Pack about them when he revealed his 'new' vampire side but didn't go into detail. Bonnie and Tyler took the Beacon Hills boy's reaction as a result of mentioning vampires and not the Originals themselves and the Dunbar's question as curiosity.

"Yeah, Original Vampires. They..." The Lockwood werewolf gave a summarized explanation about the vampire royalty family, with the Bennett filling in here and there to give the McCall Pack duo an overview of the first vampires but to Liam and Scott it was more than an overview since the Mystic Falls duo gave them far more details than they thought and for the secret Mikaelson...

He tried hard to not show his real reaction to the unexpected information about his family, the family he has never met but was hearing much about. Scott learned of the history of his family and from how Bonnie and Tyler were telling the story it seemed like their source had a front row seat into the lives of his biological father's family and that was confirmed when he asked and they said Elijah, his father's older half brother, told the story to Elena.

The Tribrid felt like Theo had once again buried his clawed hand into his gut when Bonnie revealed that Klaus apparently killed the rest of his family and left their bodies in the ocean to never be found again, leaving only Elijah whom he killed just recently in retaliation to him working with the Mystic Falls team to kill him.

"I've found her, True Alpha." Raven1's telepathic interruption interrupted the beginnings of a panic attack before Liam, Bonnie and Tyler could notice it although Liam sensed his alpha's distress via chemo-signals and placed his hand on the older boy's shoulder.

Aided by Raven1's interruption the McCall was able to calm down quickly.

"If Elijah told you this, does that mean Klaus is here?" Asked Liam, giving Scott time to fully recover.

He thought the True Alpha's reaction was a normal thing considering that he was a vampire-werewolf hybrid like Klaus, the only two in the world and the Original Hybrid's actions against his own family were not sunshine and rainbows. The Mystic Falls duo answered positive to Liam's question.

"Since he has full access to his hybrid powers now we think he might start looking for werewolves and turn them into vampire hybrids even against their will. He..." Bonnie was interrupted just when she was about to tell the Beacon Hills duo about Stefan having to serve Klaus by a janitor and they had to leave the class after that but she was sure the message was delivered.

Just as they were about to go their separate ways the Bennett girl told Liam and Scott about the potion she made to mask their aura so Klaus doesn't find them and offered it to them. They accepted it but she wasn't sure if they would use it. Tyler made plans to meet up with the McCall and Dunbar, he wanted to see if they could help him with some werewolf lessons and form a friendship with them.

At the end of the day Scott felt like Bonnie and Tyler left out some pieces of the story and he was right, they didn't say anything about the doppelgangers or that their friend was one. They might have wanted to help the Beacon Hills duo and prevent Klaus gaining more power via a hybrid army but that didn't mean they trusted them so the duo left out some of the details that might compromise them.


	12. Chapter 12

Two days went by and Stefan still didn't have a clue as to who cut off his access to his powers and neither did Greta. He found his would be victims on Wednesday but they didn't have any knowledge of what happened even after Caroline compelled them, solidifying the idea that a vampire and a witch were involved with the attack that left the last Salvatore more vulnerable than he has been in a long time.

But though he didn't have access to his powers he was left with his blood thirst intact and no fangs meant drinking from a glass. That wasn't a problem but since that was the case Klaus instructed Stefan to drink at least five liters of blood each day in front of Greta who blamed the vampire for her magic loss. The Original Hybrid planned to increase and decrease the amount irregularly in order to get his ripper ready.

While Greta and Bonnie searched for a way to reverse the power cuts Elena suffered two burnings caused by the necklace that seemed to always react whenever she was close to Scott McCall, making her finally reach a decision about it and thinking about her brother's funeral; Caroline, Sheriff Forbes, Alaric and Stefan were helping with the last one.

While they were busy with that Tyler began a friendship with Scott and Liam and the latter was helping him manage the short temper that came with being a werewolf. While the Dunbar was younger he understood that the Lockwood didn't want his mother to find out about his werewolf status just as he didn't want his to so the True Alpha let them bond over that and form a friendship.

Scott knew what it was like to be a new werewolf, more so with friends that didn't really understand him, that was one of the main reasons he accepted Theo in the Pack in the first place, so he didn't disapprove of his beta's friendship with the local werewolf or said werewolf getting close to them.

But there was another reason. Raven1 found the woman that the McCall saw on his first day in Mystic Falls and identified her as Mayor Carol Lockwood and Tyler Lockwood's mother on Tuesday while scouting the town. The True Alpha had Raven1 watch Natalie Martin's... Um... Twin?

Whatever she was to Lydia's mother, a doppelganger or a long lost twin sister, Scott just wanted to build a bridge to her in case Lydia or her mother wanted to meet with the Lockwood mother and son duo.

Talking about doppelgangers, the Alpha of the McCall Pack was beginning to think Elena Gilbert's vampire lookalike never existed and that she was an odd vision. And talking about vampires, Scott got the vervain he had Malia ask Dr Deaton to send to him later on Tuesday and immediately made sure Beacon Hills team, including Coach Finstock and the two bus drivers that alternated in driving, had some in their blood system since then.

He observed Matt's friendship with Tyler and couldn't help but compare it with his own with his late best and longest friend Stiles, and Belasko chose not to comment. He thought Scott wasn't ready to hear what he had to say... Yet. And the whole thing with the boy's biological father being in the same town as him was affecting him even though he didn't show it.

The supernatural raven knew there had to be a part of the True Alpha that wanted to meet Klaus but another didn't want that at all, not when all that he has heard about him could be confirmed. Scott now understood how Malia felt about her biological parents, at least to some extent.

Apart from that Sheriff Forbes was also looking for the vampire and witch who took away Greta and Stefan's powers after Caroline told her about them. But more importantly, she wanted to meet the witch that was able to do that. Yes, Damon Salvatore was dead but there were still vampires that were like him and the woman wanted to secure Mystic Falls from them, and one she was told was worse than Damon was in town.

Only Greta knew that Klaus was no longer in town. It was one of the strategies that allowed the ancient man to know when there was someone following him by secretly leaving a place and leave someone to report back to him if someone starts asking about him or those who work for him. If he didn't get a report when he should get one he took that as a report and proof of someone looking for him.

What had Klaus doing that was Mikael but to his surprise, and worry, he hasn't heard much about his stepfather in a while now. Actually nothing concrete. Greta just got orders from Klaus that she passed on to Stefan. Right now everyone was preparing for the lacrosse game between Cyclones and Timberwolves since it was Friday after school.

The Beacon Hills High School team was leaving after the game and Scott was looking forward to leaving Mystic Falls. Not only did he miss his mother, his mentor, the pack and Beacon Hills, he also wanted to escape the town without meeting Klaus, accidentally killing another (possibly imaginary) vampire or having to take away any more of Tyler's friend's powers and luckily enough he hasn't seen any of them attempt what Stefan and the witch he was with, Greta, tried in the woods and no learners were missing as far as he knew.

The True Alpha was sure Liam too couldn't wait to get back home after spending the last few days declining and avoiding Penelope's advances. There was another reason the McCall couldn't wait to get back home though, his reward day was very close and he wanted to enjoy his reward blood in peace in the comfort of the preserve on the hill looking over Beacon Hills and hunt with Malia in their animal forms afterwards, or maybe begin with the hunt and end with the reward since the pack was going on a hunt, their first.

Break

While in Mystic Falls people were getting ready for the game Malia and Henry Tate were seated in a restaurant with Neo Mokoena sitting across from them, having just arrived. But unknown to Neo and Henry sat Lydia and Corey while Hayden and Mason were outside watching the place.

After their alphette voiced her concern about the mysterious way Neo got her phone number and email address the pack made plans to make sure nothing happened to their alphette and her father, more so when the attorney was Corrine's, a professional assassin who wanted to kill Malia.

Jordan was working so he couldn't come but if something happened they knew that he would be there as soon as possible, which would be quick. The hellhound saw just how much losing a friend and a member of the pack affected everyone and wasn't about to let it happen again anytime soon.

"Wow, you actually have her eyes." Was Neo's comment, looking at Malia.

It was just an innocent observation on her part but when said eyes narrowed on her she knew it wasn't appreciated but that proved her point even more because that was the look Corrine gave her when she was annoyed.

"We didn't come here to talk about my eyes, did we?" Inquired Malia, her feelings about the comment made clear in her tone.

"Malia..."

"You're right. She's right, Mr Tate. I'm sorry. It's just... This is the first time I'm seeing those eyes in months and I... Sorry. Um..." Responded the attorney, and from her scent and aura she was a human, and pulled out a file from her business briefcase before taking out a few envelopes from it and documents from them.

From there on she went into business mode.

"As you may know Miss Corrine Etoyoc passed away without leaving a Will but as her only biological child and known kin a judge ruled that Miss Malia Tate inherit all that belonged to her biological mother.

This was not a decision reached easily as there were parties who called for the possessions to be dissolved because of my late client's profession but we won the case in the end which is why we're here today." Said Neo, a bit of pride in her voice and Lydia who was within hearing range couldn't fault her, it seemed like Attorney Mokoena was good at what she did,very good. 

From there the meeting continued without a problem. Henry and Malia asked questions where they wanted clarification as Neo read over everything and explained it. She took her job seriously which caused everyone else to pay attention and take her seriously as sell. By the end of the meeting Henry was satisfied although he was a bit uncomfortable with the whole thing but when Neo was about to leave Malia stopped her.

"One more question, where did you get my phone number and email address?" Questioned the girl, eyes locked on the woman.

The attorney paused and considered.

"Your mother excelled at what she did, Malia. And as her attorney I have access to a few of her possessions and it just so happened that she had a file on you and I came across it." The alphette suppressed a growl at Neo's explanation and she could tell.

"Well like you said, I've inherited her possessions. I want that file." Responded Malia, and this time Henry didn't reprimand her.

She had every right and that file was about her. Who knew what was in there?

"Right, of course." Replied the Mokoena and searched through her briefcase for said file.

In her search a USB flash drive fell to the floor from the briefcase and ended up at an invisible Corey's feet who quickly picked it up and hid it. Since the human had a file on Malia and it didn't seem like she was going to return it if the Tate didn't ask so the boy thought that it was only fair they have something of hers.

"Ms Tate, Mr Tate, thank you for your time." Said Neo, after giving Malia the file she wanted and shook hands with Henry before she left but not before paying for their orders.

Outside Mason and Hayden watched as the late Desert Wolf's attorney left the restaurant and drive away. They waited a few more minutes to see if anything was out of the ordinary while Henry Tate followed her lead.

He had a hunt with some friends out of town for the weekend so since he was done with the meeting he had to leave. Corey and Lydia joined Malia at her table as she collected the documents on said table and put them away for later reading. It seemed like she was doing a lot of reading lately.

While the Pack got together inside the restaurant and Corey gave Malia the USB flash drive Neo was on a phone call with Sofya Voronova.

"Everything is going according to plan." She said.

"Did she pass the test?" Asked Sofya.

"She did. Malia is definitely Corrine's daughter. I have a feeling her Pack had its eyes on me the moment I sat at the table with her and her adoptive father." Replied the human.

"You were the lawyer of the woman who tried to kill Malia and they are one of the most dangerous packs in the world, I didn't expect anything less from them." Said the vampire.

She ran a mercenary organization, on top of working for Kingmaker 'Land Development', and knew what it took to be considered one of the most dangerous in the world, it was why she chose the McCall Pack to take care of the job the Desert Wolf was supposed to complete in the first place after dealing with Malia.

But since they weren't for hire the Voronova had to be creative to get their attention and service, it helped she didn't have to pay them, just... 

"She has the memory stick?" Asked Sofya.

"I'm sure it's in her possession as we speak. They'll have to decode it though." Answered Neo.

"I'm sure they will." Was the vampire's response, and she was sure they would just as she was sure they knew more than they led on about Corrine's death.

She had her suspicions about that.

Break

Liam couldn't help but take in the energy of the crowd as the teams walked to the field. It was bigger than their Monday surprise game's crowd and since then it seemed like more people found interest in lacrosse which was one of the purposes of the visit.

It wasn't like back in Beacon Hills but it was enough and he was excited about going home so that was more than enough to get his adrenaline going and he was coming to accept his responsibilities as the new team captain.

Spending time with Tyler made the boy realize just how easier he had it with Scott as his alpha and backed by a pack while the Lockwood only had a journal to guide him. Brett was right, he was lucky to have Scott McCall but now it was time he showed his appreciation and let his alpha grow and kind of move on. It was time.

They entered the field and every player went to their rightful places, recalling their first game against each other. They learned a few things during the week, they formed friendships and healthy rivalries, bonded, but this was the battlefield and there would be no mercy.

When the whistle blew a focused Liam took charge of his team with one goal in mind, to win. Tyler sat with Matt, Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie and even Alaric as they all watched the game, and Matt was kind of glad that Liam and Scott were leaving town today because he was beginning to feel like he was losing his best friend to them.

It was ridiculous how well those three took to each other in just a few days, more so when Tyler wasn't usually the easiest guy to be around but since he became a werewolf and closer to Caroline he seemed to calm down, somewhat, and it was like Scott and Liam understood him way more than the gang did.

The human guessed it was werewolf stuff and tried not to be jealous. He was literally the only normal one of the group, something he wanted to maintain but at times he felt left out. It didn't help that Caroline seemed to have moved on from him though he wanted her to. Matt was coming to realize that without his not so ordinary friends he wouldn't have friends and even if he did it wouldn't be the same.

Something about the lacrosse game made Stefan think about his relationship with his late older brother. Maybe it was the way Scott and Liam dominated the first quarter of the game, leading their team with a beautiful teamwork but as the second quarter began Liam started to take more lead and play with his other teammates and Scott pulled back little by little.

It almost looked symbolic and when one thought of how Scott was in the last semester of his senior year and Liam sophomore it kind of was. Stefan only realized it halfway through the second quarter when Scott and another player were open and Liam passed the other player instead of Scott and the Salvatore was almost sure the McCall nodded in approval.

What made him think of Damon was the brother and mentor like relationship Scott and Liam had, it was so easy to see by the way that they interacted with each other. It was a little like the bond Stefan had with Damon before Katherine and their mother's death, before he truly grew up and everything went to hell, before vampirism and maybe before Valerie Tulle. 

Bonnie took her mind from Jeremy's upcoming funeral and focused on the game but more specifically on Scott McCall. She had a strange dream she hasn't told anyone about the night he borrowed her his shirt and she slept wearing it. It was too comfortable and smelled very nice to take off when she got home, she couldn't help it.

The dream was of a wolf with red eyes, a raven on its head, backed by a coyote of similar eyes, a black fiery dog with equally fiery eyes and a wailing woman, a wolf and jaguar with yellow eyes and two humanoids, one in modern clothes and the other cowboy although there was something about the last one that wasn't normal per se.

And standing across from them were the hundred witches whose power she channeled. One would think team strange animals and possibly humans would be intimidated by the witches' numbers and power but that was not the case, instead Bonnie had a feeling it was the other way around and she stood right in the middle.

The witches were pushing for her to eliminate the red eyed animals including the raven, the jaguar and cowboy because they were "abominations of nature". That puzzled the girl considering the black fiery dog was way more abnormal than everything on team strange followed by the fact that the assembled team naturally didn't get along and then the eye color.

The Bennett wondered what was the meaning of that dream apart from the witches' wish to end team strange. There had to be something symbolic about the shapes the animals took, the possible humans' clothes and their relationship but for the life of her she couldn't figure out.

Well not all of it, just that the leading wolf with a raven on its head had to represent Scott and the raven that he saved. Bonnie saw it a few times following the boy around and Tyler said that it even invited itself to Liam and Scott's room at the motel according to the former who found the bird's stalking tendencies creepy and she couldn't blame him.

More than that though the witch wasn't so sure she could kill Scott for whatever reasons the witches put forward, he was probably the nicest werewolf she knew and she wished he was a witch instead of a werewolf so that he could help her with her magic just as he and Liam were helping Tyler.

Elena found out that practice was different to the actual game as she watched the lacrosse game with her friends. There was more energy, more adrenaline even for her as a spectator, it made her forget her troubles for a bit. Ever since Stefan became an essentially powerless vampire everyone was on full alert, expecting an attack even as they had things to do.

There was no reason to believe whoever attacked Stefan and Greta wasn't going to return and finish what they started and a little voice in the girl's head told her Klaus might have had something to do with it.

He was quite busy these days and didn't bother presenting himself before them which was a blessing really, Greta was a way better person to deal with than the man who killed her and her aunt. Another blessing was Greta not discovering Scott and Liam, now that was a blessing because if she did the doppelganger was sure the witch would have told Klaus.

Talking about Scott McCall, Elena held the necklace that seemed to not protect her anymore. She stopped wearing it yesterday after her second burn and felt a little naked without it but safer. The girl now wore the Gilbert ring that Jeremy had on when he died, it made her feel closer to her family. She now knew how Matt felt, well, a little but it was enough to make her see him in a new light.

But back to the necklace Stefan gave the Gilbert. The ring was actually what gave Elena the final push in her decision concerning the necklace, it was a family heirloom and as such deserved to stay in the family and so far it has only reacted to one person.

Caroline was a bit relieved as the days went by and Scott McCall didn't show any romantic interest in Elena, or even personal interest for that matter. To him she was just another girl and that was refreshing on a lot of levels. The vampire was even thinking of rewarding him or maybe encourage Bonnie into doing what she normally wouldn't do.

The Bennett definitely needed to loosen up or else she was going to grow old very young. Said Bennett suddenly felt eyes on her and slowly turned only to be met with Caroline's eyes. Before the vampire became a vampire she was closest to Bonnie but after she became one the witch had problems with accepting her, generally because she didn't like vampires and not because she hated her.

From the moment she first tapped into her magic she had a positive to positive magnetic reaction which was repulsion and that was natural to her only amplified by what the first vampires she met did and what occurred. The others didn't understand it because they weren't connected to nature like she was or feel what she felt from vampires, their aura...

Bonnie shook her head, deciding to be in the present. She knew the look in Caroline's eyes, having seen it too many times before. The Forbes had a plan in mind and it seemed like she was part of it, the witch just hoped it didn't have anything to do with magic.

Having been absorbed in grimoires the whole week trying to find a way to reverse what was done to Stefan, and hopefully secretly learn to do it to others, she wanted a break. Asking the Spirits didn't help, they were tired of helping vampires, even Emily Bennett.

Break

"Come on, Lydia." Whined Malia. "You like doing research."

"I do like doing research but not all the time. I helped you decode that memory stick and now I have movies, snacks and drinks waiting for me at home as my reward." Replied the Martin, standing up from the she-coyote's bed and heading for the door.

"No, you didn't. Danny told you what to do." Retorted the Tate.

"Bye, Malia." Was Lydia's response, leaving the girl.

After they left the restaurant the two girls who were most definitely best friends now went to the Tate house with the banshee calling Danny Mahealani after they arrived and discovered the USB flash drive was encrypted, something that made sense considering client confidentiality and all that. Malia sighed, looking at her laptop with the window of the memory stick open.

She couldn't help but ask herself why she didn't use the rank card. The girl was grateful that Neo explained everything concerning her inheritance, she only had her file and the memory stick to go through. She found herself missing Scott's company, reading alone was boring and tiring.

Break

"Eating by yourself?" Asked Klaus, addressing a female, a young woman werewolf to be exact, at a bar.

"What do you think?" She asked in return, not taking her eyes away from her food.

"I'll take that as a yes and don't mind if I join you." Said the ancient man as he did as he said.

It was but half a moment later that she caught a scent that threw her off, there was something odd about the man. His scent was that of a vampire yet also a werewolf's as well... Creating a new kind of scent all together.

"What are you?" She inquired, eliciting a smile from Klaus.

"Come, love. I'm sure you have better manners than that. A name would be a lovely start." Replied the Original Hybrid.

The werewolf narrowed her eyes, not quite comfortable with the man's vampire scent, having come across a few both in human and wolf form.

"You're right." She said, pushing her food to the side before... "What's your name?" Asking, giving him her full attention.

Klaus had expected her to give him her name not ask for his but since he wanted to get to the point...

"You can call me Klaus. The man who has the ability to grant you total control over your shape-shifting ability, even stop yourself from transforming during the full moon." He replied, sitting back in his chair.

He knew he had her attention when she responded, even though she was obviously skeptical. By the end of the conversation the young woman introduced herself as Kimberly, just Kimberly, and Klaus got his first pack mate. It helped she didn't have a pack or a family but also didn't. The hybrid wanted a pack and hunting for members took time and resources.

Oh, he knew he could look for evolved werewolves but he was old school this way and wanted more of his kind, traditional werewolves who were going to be hybrids just like him. Most of the evolved werewolves couldn't shift into full wolf forms which made them weaker in Klaus' eyes, he refused to acknowledge their superiority. Pride. 

Break

Back in Mystic Falls the score between Cyclones and Timberwolves was tied with only a few seconds left before the game ended and the crowd was on the ends of the bleachers, hearts beating fast in anticipation of the deciding goal.

Though the game started rather aggressive the second half was more of the teams enjoying themselves. The first half was for the coaches and the second for themselves. Alaric was surprised that he was actually invested in the match along with the youth and yelling coaches.

He was just coming to realize that what Beacon Hills High School and Mystic Falls High School lacrosse teams did was actually historical, being that it was the first time the whole 'week camp' thing happen with one school visiting another for group training and then a friendly game which raised money which was going to be shared equally between the schools to improve sport development in the individual schools involved.

Additionally a local television channel was covering the game, an incentive for Liam and Scott to play fair, something that they did. Kind of. As the game drew closer to the end Timberwolves pushed the ball to Cyclones' side, aiming to be the ones who scored the deciding goal but Gwen cut them off and caught the ball for her team at the last moment.

She passed it to Diaz who pushed it to the middle of the field before passing it to Scott who pushed it towards Timberwolves' side, douching left and right before passing it to his protege Liam Dunbar. Because Liam scored the first goal of the match the opposing team didn't want to give him any chance of being the last one to score so they blocked his advances.

Though that succeeded in stopping him from advancing it didn't stop him from passing the ball to Scott who was open and ahead of him, and as the seconds ticked he accepted the ball with an open crosse, causing Timberwolves to giving him their attention. Since the time was now way too close to the end their goal was to prevent team Cyclones from scoring so that they would go to penalties or extra time but that plan didn't work as they'd hoped.

They managed to form a somewhat solid defense but mostly forgot about Liam (though there were two guarding him) whom Scott passed the ball, or so it seemed. While team Timberwolves followed the directions the McCall pretended to throw the ball in he bypassed their defense by rotating and sidestepping to get the view of the goals but found it guarded, the goal keeper was not fooled, having kept his eyes on the ball the whole time, he was prepared.

Scott only saw one way he could score and as the very last single digit seconds drifted off he released the ball with only one purpose in mind; score a goal. Everyone stood on their toes as the ball sailed through the air... Or that would have been the case if the Tribrid had aimed high. Oh no, he aimed low and the ball passed right between Timberwolves' goal keeper's legs and...

"GOAL!" Yelled Coach Bobby Finstock as the ball hit the net and the whistle blew.

All stood still as Bobby's voice echoed and he spent a few seconds yelling "goal" over and over while everyone processed how the goal came to be. One moment the McCall had his crosse over his right shoulder and then he made as though to throw the ball forward only to rotate with said ball in the crosse using the momentum he picked up and upon completing the rotation he released the ball, aiming low.

The referee just blew the whistle reflexively while his mind processed what he saw because in his whole career he never saw a play quite like that one. From how Timberwolves pushed the ball to Cyclones' half of the field and almost scored to Gwen cutting them off and capturing the ball for her team, Diaz pushing it out of his team's half of the field then pass the ball to Liam and Liam's play with Scott and finally the deciding goal.

When the play finally registered the crowd rose with a standing ovation, whistles and cheers while Cyclones ran and picked up the Tribrid who scored the winning goal and celebrated with Timberwolves clapping their hands in acceptance of their defeat.

The creative way the deciding goal was delivered had some rethinking their definition of lacrosse and begin to think outside the box. If Liam and Scott's parkour hadn't, this definitely did. Scott enjoyed the celebration until the crowd stormed the field and then escaped. The fact that this was probably his last away game as a high school learner was finally sinking in along with the fact that he, Malia and Lydia were going their separate ways after high school.

While he was going to UC Davis Lydia was going to MIT, only Malia was undecided but they were still breaking up regardless, starting a new phase in their lives without each other for the first time in what felt like a decade and that was scary, scarier than facing every enemy they have faced put together.

Scott wasn't sure that they would arrive at this point, what with everything they faced but they made it, with some heavy losses. While some left like Jackson, Isaac, Ethan, Derek and most recently Kira others died like Erica, Boyd, Allison, Aiden and most recently Stiles.

Sometimes Scott just felt old. Old and tired. But not in this moment. Allison didn't save his life from Sebastien for nothing, he was going to live for those who died. He was going to honor them by living his life to the fullest. The True Alpha's thoughts were interrupted when he bumped into someone on his way to the locker room.

"Caroline!" Was Bonnie's whispered exclamation.

"You two have to stop meeting like this." Caroline's voice followed soon after, too amused and mischievous to be innocent.

"We would if you stop pushing me." Replied the witch, having been caught by the vampire since the boy was too lost in thought to have caught her.

"I don't know know what you're talking about, Bonnie. Anyway, Scott, Bonnie wants to give you a goodbye kiss." Responded the Forbes before dropping the bomb.

"You want to give him a goodbye kiss." Corrected a blushing Bonnie, poking her friend's side.

"True. But you didn't deny it. So... What do you say, number eleven?" A tongue tied Scott was saved from answering when Elena and Stefan joined them.

The Gilbert had wondered where her friends were going when Caroline pulled Bonnie who reluctantly followed but if her small smile was anything to go by then she knew.

"Sorry for the interruption, but I just wanted to give you something before you leave." Said the doppelganger, the first part to her friends and the last to Scott who furrowed his brows, sending a questioning look to Stefan who shrugged.

The Tribrid hoped she didn't want to give him a goodbye kiss too or else it would all go to his head. Bonnie and Caroline were a little lost as to what that would be until they saw Elena pull out the necklace Stefan gave her.

"I think this necklace might be your family's long lost heirloom. It reacts to you everytime you focus on it and you said it felt familiar so..." Said the girl, handing over said item to Scott who accepted it but didn't tell her that he didn't know it reacted to him.

Upon accepting it he had a vision of two girls, one older than the other. The older one, Dahlia, was begging the younger one, Esther, to stay with her, to keep their promise to stay together forever, but her pleas went unheard. It seemed like Esther fell in love with one of their captors and planned to stay with and marry him, she called him Mikael, instead of escaping with her older sister Dahlia who seemed much worse off than her younger sister, giving the True Alpha the idea that Esther was treated better than Dahlia. Esther turned her back on Dahlia at the end of the interaction, leaving her visibly devastated.

It was but a short moment but Scott could empathize with Dahlia just as much as he did with Esther. It must have hurt Dahlia maybe as much as it hurt the True Alpha to hear Liam say that he wanted to kill him and even almost succeeded.

Yes, there was a super full moon that night but it only amplified what one already felt, meaning there was a chance Liam truly wanted to kill him and maybe not only for reasonably refusing to give Hayden the bite but for turning him and risking Liam's mother seeing him as a monster. On the other hand Esther looked young enough for the McCall to believe Mikael was her first love and he knew what being in love for the first time felt like.

Oh, he knew and that was one of the reasons he forgave Liam. He also knew how it felt to hold on to said first love as she died in his arms, but even more so have the means to bring her back but not the courage to because of the unknown that came with that resurrection and...

"Scott? Are you OK?" Elena's voice pulled the Tribrid back to the present and he wasn't as surprised as he should have been when he felt a tear run down his cheek.

But he was a bit surprised to find the necklace warm before it cooled down, gaining a little understanding what the girl meant by it reacting to him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm OK. It's just... Thanks." Said Scott, wiping away the tear. "Thanks." He repeated, voice stronger.

The Witch Tribrid thought about giving Stefan his powers back but there was no way of doing that without exposing himself, his witch part. So he only watched as Elena and Stefan left, joined by Bonnie and Caroline without giving him goodbye kisses. Looking at the necklace in his hand, Scott knew it was one of the sisters' talisman.

That very thought made him realize that it was probably very old considering Dahlia and Esther's clothing and surroundings. Elena might not know it but she gave him a very old talisman that happened to react to him for some reason, probably just as powerful and a way out of making another talisman to act as his talisman to protect his real talisman.

The visit to Mystic Falls turned out to be very fruitful and the Tribrid wanted to leave it before his good fortune ran out. He already lost goodbye kisses from two very attractive girls who also happened to be friends. Derek was right, everyone can be tempted, even a true alpha. Something about that bothered Scott because true alphas were people too and had flaws and all like everyone else. The boy quickly kicked that thought out of his mind, not wanting to ruin his good mood.

Two attractive girlfriends approached him today with the purpose of kissing him goodbye, if only Elena Gilbert and her powerless vampire boyfriend Stefan Salvatore hadn't interrupted. But it was a good day, and UC Davis was waiting for him along with opportunities to fulfill what Stefan and Elena ruined. With a goofy smile on his face, Scott McCall went back to join the celebration, glad he was alive.


	13. Chapter 13

"Are you sure he's here, my dear first beta?" Klaus asked, walking around an abandoned but clean and well taken care of house.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Daniel! Daniel come out of hiding already or you'll lose out on something big, something life changing and quite..." Paused Kimberly, before she super sped to the other side of the room.

"Empowering!" She completed, knowing that Daniel who happened to be a triggered traditional werewolf had his eyes on her and Klaus the moment he heard them coming and sure enough the young man couldn't refuse his curiosity at Kimberly's display of speed.

"There you are! Daniel Warren meet our new alpha Klaus." Introduced the first vampire-werewolf hybrid ever turned in world history.

"I haven't agreed to join his pack." Said the he-wolf.

"Oh but you will." Replied a confident Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson, certain of his statement.

There was no rest for one such as him, even on a Sunday afternoon.

Break

"This is boring." Commented a bored Mason, seating on a camp chair in a clearing in the preserve with snacks and drinks amongst other things.

"I kind of like the quiet, it's better than running around chasing a deer." Responded Lydia, relaxing on her own camp chair.

She wouldn't have been as relaxed as she was if Malia hadn't marked the clearing with her scent and as disgusting as that was it was effective in keeping the area wild animal free.

"Or your mom asking questions about you and Parrish." Added the former host of Sebastien Valet, before he closed his mouth with both hands though he knew that he was right, they both did.

The banshee raised her head a little, eyes locked on Mason.

"What was that?" She questioned, and though her voice was as smooth as silk the boy knew danger even in disguise.

"Nothing! Nothing!" He replied, hands hovering around his ears.

"That's what I thought." Said the girl before picking up her glass of juice.

Malia, Jordan, Hayden and Corey were all out hunting for deer, having left the two at the clearing earlier. It was a beautiful Sunday, the banshee thought. Peaceful, filled with the smell of the woods, nature, fresh air and a nice breeze. These were the days the girl didn't take for granted because she knew trouble could pick up at any moment and lives could be lost at any second.

That thought made her feel like a veteran, second only to Scott since he was the longest member of the pack. It was a miracle they were still alive considering that they were just sophomores when all this started and today they were seniors.

One more thing that was a miracle was her close friend and alpha possessing pyrokinesis. Oh, she knew and according to Jordan the McCall was more than what he seemed, he was an anomaly, a vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid.

At least that was what Cerberus sensed and by proxy Jordan and since he was a Guardian of the Supernatural there was extremely limited chance that the hellhound was wrong. If the True Alpha knew the banshee knew he was hiding his status for good reasons and it made sense.

Whatever the Dread Doctors did to him was groundbreaking but it was also dangerous for him and everyone close to him because people tended to fear and be hostile to things they didn't understand.

Hybrids were common in the world but not tribrids especially of his make up; vampire, werewolf and witch or in his case and to be specific warlock. If people found out Scott would be more of a target than his status as a true alpha made him to be, it was best people didn't know, even those close to him.

The fewer the better and that's why the girl hasn't confronted him about it, even when the McCall suddenly asked her to teach him Latin, Cerberus agreed that the Tribrid's existence needed to be a closely guarded secret.

What Jordan didn't tell Lydia was that it was impossible for a witch to be made, they could only be born and that was the same with traditional werewolves which meant Scott lied about his transformation being artificial and the Dread Doctors' doing. The world had rules set and those two were some of those unbreakable ones.

The Dread Doctors might have found a way to bend some of the rules but they couldn't do much to those. The Martin took her mind off those thoughts and just enjoyed her juice. Not even a moment later wind picked up a little before slowing down only for Mason to notice an extra set of equipment and bags where they placed theirs for later use. "Uh, Lydia..." He alerted the banshee.

Break

For some reason Jordan found that he enjoyed the hunt so far. The teamwork that went into it... Corey served as scout with his camouflage, relaying his visual findings back to the pack including choosing a target, Jordan and Hayden were given the task to distract the herd of deer they were targeting but more so to isolate the targeted deer from that herd, giving Malia a clear shot for a direct attack and kill while Corey kept watch over the pack since they would be distracted during the hunt. A good plan.

Right now they were all waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and the anticipation was building up, the only chimera left was grateful he didn't have to directly participate though his job required that he be the most quiet of them all and control his breathing, heart rate and scent to be able to complement his camouflage and be a master of stealth.

The moment finally presented itself and Jordan in his partial transformation signaled Hayden and they set off running, causing chaos in the herd, more than they anticipated and they ended up losing sight of their target and Malia couldn't help but mentally smile in her coyote form.

Hunting may look easy especially when there is a plan but it wasn't, Scott found out the hard way and by that she meant a kick to the head by a deer on his first hunt with her, they were lucky they just lost the target but she still had her eyes on it. Corey was good at giving the a visual report.

The veteran hunter quietly sneaked up on her prey, using the chaos Hayden and Jordan caused and we're continuing to cause while trying to find their lost target to her advantage. They were in her world now. The red eyed werecoyote took her time like the experienced hunter she was, coming closer to her prey.

Since she couldn't use her venom she was aiming for the neck, a perfect and cleaner kill than the spine for those of weaker stomach. At the perfect moment the she-coyote stuck but stopped half a moment later, recoiling as a her prey went down with another predator's teeth in its neck and a second later it was over, a perfect kill.

With her perfect kill taken from her Malia reacted like any other wronged predator and set her sight on the wolf letting go of her would be prey's neck.

Wolf... That halted the alpha coyote, letting her take in the wolf and to her surprise she found that she knew the wolf, but that didn't mean she was going to forgive and forget that easily, plus she missed him, so... One moment Corey was set to witness a successful hunt for the first time in person and he did, but not executed by the one he expected it from.

Malia was in motion when another predator took the honor from her and she wasn't pleased at all if her snarls were anything to go by. It wasn't until she paused for but a moment that he recognized the other predator but that didn't stop the Alphette for long.

Her snarls were returned by the other predator, a wolf, an alpha wolf, supernaturally so just like the coyote. To the side the chimera saw the only werewolf of the pack standing by and calmed down a bit as Hayden and Jordan finally took notice of what was happening and joined Liam Dunbar. Soon enough Mason and Lydia joined them and so did Corey who left his sentry post. Right after he left it eight ravens took it and Belasko watched over the McCall Pack as it reunited. 

The alphas began to circle one another, taking in the others scent and chemo-signals as they did... Then attacked. From an outsider's perspective the coyote and wolf seemed to be truly fighting but they were merely play fighting, reconnecting, though the she-coyote made sure to let the he-wolf know that she was annoyed with him with a few nips that were playfully returned, feeling the area with snarls, barks, whimpers and a whole lot of chemo-signals.

"Are-are they really marking each other?" Questioned Mason, not knowing how to take that.

"It sure seems like it." Replied Lydia, a little smile on her face.

"What do you mean?" Corey and Liam asked in unison.

"Boys." Commented Hayden, shaking her head and was joined by Lydia and Mason.

"They're covering each other with their scents to reconnect and re-familiarize themselves just like you are doing right now." Answered Jordan, and sure enough Hayden, Mason, Liam and Corey were too close with Liam hugging Hayden from behind and Mason and Corey on each of his sides, their sides brushing.

The four blinked a few times, having not realized that they drifted closer and sharing scents, marking each other, reconnecting with Liam. But as much as Jordan pointed it out to the youngsters he and Lydia didn't realize that they too were way too close and what's more, they were holding hands.

The Bearer and Harbinger of Death only realized that when the alphas joined them and they ran their fingers through the coyote and wolf's fur as they brushed against the two before doing the same to the four youngest members of the pack. Scott and Liam felt at home for the first time since they left as they reunited with their pack and they were glad they arrived just in time.

Break

While the McCall Pack celebrated their reunion Greta Martin found the spell used on her in one of her father's grimoires. It was the Halting Spell, created to strip or block a witch's magic, rendering them powerless until the witch that cast the spell willingly released it and returned the magic.

The Martin didn't bother checking on the spell done on Stefan, concluding it was just a variation of the Halting Spell and he didn't really matter to her. Her mission now was to find the witch who cast the spell on her and make them give her back her magic.

Break

"Yes, dad. Everything is fine." Said Bonnie, seating cross-legged on her bed and for a change with school books around her instead of grimoires.

"Alright. Keep safe, I love you." Replied Rudy Hopkins.

"Love you too." Responded the girl, before they cut off the call and she looked outside her window.

They buried Jeremy yesterday and Sheriff Forbes was full of remorse, the boy hadn't been her target at all but he ended up dead since Damon saved himself, at least for a little bit before dying anyway. Bonnie wondered what her death would be like.

She was willing to die for Elena but Jeremy showed her that she mattered, her life mattered too. And that was weird. For much of her life the witch tried to fit in and please others that she forgot to take care of herself, that she lost value in her worth since her mother left.

It hurt that she didn't think she was worth staying for or even providing an explanation for leaving and that left the girl with major abandonment issues that her father and grandmother weren't equip to heal, same with Jeremy even though he tried. If the woman who gave birth to her didn't deem her important enough to not leave her or even take her along...

Bonnie shook those thoughts off, they weren't doing her any good but here she was, all powerful yet no purpose of her own aside from dying for her best friends. Best friends...

The longer she thought about this the more the young witch realized that she needed someone to talk to. Jeremy had been there but he wasn't anymore, she missed hearing someone tell her that she was important and worth it, whatever it was, and fusing over her.

But all her friends were busy with something; Elena was mourning the death of her brother and Stefan wasn't about to leave her sight, not that Bonnie felt close enough to him to consider him, same with Alaric, Caroline was bonding with her mother and Matt and Tyler had their own things going and it wasn't like she was that close to either of them or even ideal.

Yes, she had a little bit more in common with Matt since both have their mothers abandoned them but... She wasn't going there. The Bennett-Hopkins hated being alone because that was when her doubts and fears came out and suicidal thoughts came to mind. Bonnie finally decided to take a break and get herself something to eat.

Break

As the sun set Jordan had the braai stand set and hot, deer meat getting ready for the hungry pack while Lydia prepared plastic cups and plates and Hayden, Liam Corey and Mason gathering wood for the bonfire they'll set upon their return. Malia and Scott were somewhere else in the woods in their human forms, sitting on a hill overlooking Beacon Hills as lights came on with the girl's head on her fellow alpha's shoulder as he drank his reward blood, peace in his heart.

After the pack collected the meat Jordan was currently braaiying the two alphas had their fill of venison in their animal forms before leaving the carcass for other animals to have theirs, Belasko being the first one to have his fill, and joined their pack though they stayed in their animal forms. The True Alpha couldn't shape-shift in Mystic Falls so he was making up for lost time and the Tate just enjoyed being in her coyote form.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Asked the McCall.

"Shh. I want to enjoy this a little longer." Was Malia's response, listening to the boy's beating heart.

For the next few minutes they sat like that in silence apart from the sound of the woods, their breathing and heartbeats. The Alphette gave up a long time ago on trying to figure out how vampire bodies worked, that's why she accepted Lydia's explanation which was that magic kept vampire bodies functioning like that of humans and were-people in almost every way though Scott's was a complicated case.

What the she-coyote knew though was that Scott's heart beat the same as it did before and that she found it soothing when they were like this.

After Stiles' death Malia couldn't sleep so she sometimes went to his house only to find Sheriff Stilinski in his bedroom so the girl visited her old den instead. One night she happened to come across the McCall's scent in the woods and followed it to find him sitting alone on the hill overlooking Beacon Hills with a few bottles of hard liquor around him, some empty while others were still full with one half empty.

She was pretty sure that he was crying so she just settled beside him in silence, realizing for the first time that maybe everything did become too much for the boy to handle, he just didn't let it show.

Malia sat with Scott that night and just listened to his heart beat and from that moment on the two got closer to each other and coupled with training together, bonding, their relationship developed to what it was now.

During the week that he was in Mystic Falls she found that talking on the phone whether via voice or video call just wasn't the same as being able to feel his warmth and presence, smell his scent and listen to his heart as it beat while he drank his 'reward' for being a good boy after a hunt or studying together at home.

She missed him, she missed this and she wanted to take it all in and appreciate it, for what was here today could be gone tomorrow, more so when graduation was so close. Peter Hale and Corrine Etoyoc's only daughter drifted to sleep with that thought.

'Dinner is about to be served, True Alpha.' Said Raven7, the raven that watched over Mason.

'Thanks, Raven7.' Replied the True Alpha, before he looked at Malia and found her fast asleep. It was the first time this happened so the boy only smiled at the familiarity of it and gently picked her up.

Break

Klaus couldn't help the smirk that grew on his face as he watched Kimberly and Daniel test out their new abilities, all eyes wolf hybrid yellow with the sclera black, including his own. He wished at least one of his half siblings could witness him as he builds his special pack, the Hybrid Pack.

The problem was that the Original Hybrid couldn't revive Rebekah without the old Stefan back since this one was in love with Elena Gilbert... In love with Elena Gilbert... That thought brought the man to a pause. Maybe that could work in his favor but only if he played his cards right.

Break

Malia's nap was cut short when her nose caught the smell of braaied venison as Scott came closer to their clearing, and raised her head a little to make sure she wasn't dreaming and sure enough she wasn't.

"I fell asleep." She said.

"You fell asleep." Concurred the McCall.

"Put me down, I need to give you something." Instructed the girl, and the boy followed.

Malia took out a memory stick out of her pocket and gave it to Scott.

"Look at it when you get home." She told him as he glowed his eyes to see it better before nodding, putting it in his pocket then they joined the pack.

As everyone received a plate the McCall Pack began catching up on things they didn't discuss in their pack video calls although it was all light things, nothing heavy. With the bonfire providing light Lydia noticed a new item on the vampire Tribrid's neck and didn't waste anytime in asking about it, gaining him everyone's attention.

"Ah... Elena gave it to me just after the game on Friday." He answered, a little uncomfortable.

"And why would she do that when you killed her twin sister?" Malia followed up with her own question, making the boy almost choke on his food.

"It doesn't look like the twin sister existed." Liam came to the rescue. "No one said anything about her twin sister for the whole week we were there, just a little brother who was accidentally shot and killed before we arrived." He added.

"What?" Was Jordan's response.

"Yeah." Said The boy.

"But still, why would she give Scott a necklace?" Hayden repeated the question.

"With a ruby." Added Lydia.

"It reacted to me so she thought it might be a long lost family heirloom." Answered Scott.

"Reacted?" Everyone except Liam asked in unison.

"I have no idea how it reacted exactly when it was in her possession but when she gave it to me it warmed up a bit before cooling, and there is something familiar about it." He replied, holding the talisman in his hand.

"It's magic." The Guardian of the Supernatural stated. "It has its own magic which is what you find familiar about it and it's why it reacted to you. If I had to guess Elena is right, the necklace might be a long lost family heirloom enchanted to recognize those of a certain lineage which is why it reacted to you." Explained Jordan, upon seeing questioning looks directed his way.

When he focused more on the talisman Cerberus sensed something wrong with it, wrong in the sense that it had a link to the afterlife. Well, not the real afterlife but the Other Side. It knew just how troublesome witches could be, more so Spirits and alerted Jordan that they needed to destroy the link before it became a problem later on.

"Do you mind if I have a closer look?" Requested the young man.

"Sure." Responded Scott, and went to take it off only for the older supernatural to stop him.

The Parrish stood from his camping chair, approached the Tribrid and held the pendant. The moment fiery eyes replaced Jordan's human eyes the McCall knew Jordan wasn't in complete control anymore, and that was probably an understatement since the next moment Jordan spoke in a language none of the people around the bonfire could comprehend and half a moment later the bonfire increase in an unnatural way.

No, not unnatural but supernaturally and while everyone saw that Scott never witnessed it. Everything went white for him and then he found himself in a white place sitting atop a nemeton stump with a fully transformed Jordan and a blonde woman who had a striking resemblance to one of the girls from the vision he received when he accepted the talisman from Elena, Esther.

Esther Mikaelson found herself in a place she has never been before, an all white area, sitting atop a giant tree stump with two young men. One on fire and the other... 

She recognized the younger one as he looked a lot like Ansel, her former lover and Niklaus' biological father who was killed by her husband Mikael when he found out about her affair with the werewolf who was also the Alpha of the North East Atlantic Pack which resulted in Niklaus over ten centuries ago.

Since her talisman reacted to Scott Esther has been watching him, waiting for the full moon so that she could temporarily possess his body and resurrect herself so that she could correct her mistakes.

She'd given Rebekah the talisman centuries ago in hopes that her youngest daughter would meet with her older sister Freya, her first child whom most of her children didn't know existed except Finn, or her descendent since they would be witches and gift them the pendant as a way to resurrect herself in case she died so that she could be in her children's lives and free her Freya or her descendent from Dahlia.

But as the years went by Esther watched as her children and husband, her creation, tore the world and filled it with nothing but blood and bodies. What was meant to be protection for her family turned into a plague with the rise of vampires and the witch couldn't believe that she brought such abominations upon the world.

Ayana, her mentor and Bonnie Bennett's ancestor, had been right when she warned her of the consequences of turning her family into vampires but she didn't listen and the world was paying for her mistake. Esther now planned to correct her mistake and eradicate the vampire species from the surface of the world.

The spell that she used to create vampires linked every vampire made by Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah and Mikael to them, creating six vampire bloodlines, and if the progenitor of a bloodline died every single vampire of that bloodline would die as well.

It was a fail-safe to ensure no one killed her family but now it was a guarantee of the destruction of the vampire species as a whole, especially if she linked them together so that when she killed one all would die. 

After that thought passed through Esther Mikaelson's mind a scream tore itself out of her mouth as she found herself aflame. What the Original Witch didn't realize was that she told all this to Cerberus and Scott instead of think about it, she revealed everything, and the hellhound spirit set her aflame right before a shocked Scott's eyes to destroy her link to the talisman and by proxy the Living World.

The world found a new balance after the introduction of vampires over one thousand years ago by evolving werewolves, the sudden vacuum that would result if all vampires suddenly died at the same time would result cause an imbalance not seen since vampires attempted to eradicate traditional werewolves but on a much bigger scale since traditional werewolves would have survived because not all of them were activated/triggered and known and that was a no-no.

Cerberus then turned to Scott who just sat there, staring at his grandmother as the fire died down and she disappeared afterwards.

"Beware what you receive with open arms, anomaly." It warned before everything went white once again and then they were back in the clearing.

"Whoa, Jordan!" Exclaimed Malia, just as the bonfire returned to normal.

"What was that?" Asked Lydia.

"What was what?" He asked back.

"Cerberus. Cerberus was helping me with something." Scott answered for Jordan. "Thanks, Jordan." He said to the older supernatural as he went back to his chair, nodding at the True Alpha's gratitude.

The Alphette narrowed her eyes at the two but let it go. 

"What did you give this Elena in return?" She asked instead.

"A thank you?" Replied Scott, raising both eyebrows.

"Diaz said that her boyfriend Stefan was there so nothing could happen though Bonnie and Caroline we're up for some kissing but Elena and Stefan interrupted." Said Liam, causing his alpha to facepalm.

That wasn't relevant at all.

"Aren't they friends? Pack mates?" Asked Corey.

"They are but..."

"Liam!" Scott interrupted his beta.

"Let the kid talk, Scott." Said Lydia, enjoying how uncomfortable he was.

"What? I didn't tell them about what you did with Bonnie at school during lunch." Liam defended himself.

"What?!" Now even Scott asked, having no idea what his beta was on about.

"Remember that day you left me in the cafeteria to 'answer a call'? I saw Bonnie enter the cafeteria when I left, wearing one of your shirts with her hear all messy." Reminded the Dunbar, exaggerating on the hair part.

"Oh, that? We..."

"Oh my God!" Lydia interrupted the True Alpha before he could recount what happened, his first two words painted a clear picture.

"We..."

"Let me get this straight, you had a quicky with Bonnie and on the day you were leaving she invited her friend for kisses?" Inquired Malia.

"It must have been an intense quicky." Interrupted Mason, looking at Scott with new eyes while sharing side looks with Corey.

"He's probably a pretty good kisser." Suggested Corey.

"Or maybe 'kisses' was code for quicky." Jordan added his own suggestion and everyone didn't miss Scott, who had given up on trying to correct everyone, choke on his drink and took that as confirmation.

"I didn't know you had it in you, Scott McCall." Commented Malia.

"Oh, I definitely did." Was Lydia's response to that. "Beware the asymmetric chin." She added, eliciting laughter from everyone.

It was good night, thought Scott. Even though there was a misunderstanding of what really happened with Bonnie and he had to bear witness to his ancient and long passed grandmother confess her plan for genocide on a scale Gerard Argent could only dream of and Cerberus set her aflame in a mindscape or maybe it was a soulscape, it was a good night.

Break

It really was a good night since Klaus was about to awaken his younger half sister. He removed the dagger a while ago and had a human compelled at the ready, he was a good big brother like that. All the vampire-werewolf hybrid had to do now was wait and sure enough she came pack to the land of the living a moment later.

Rebekah Mikaelson knew that she had been daggered the second she revived, having been a victim of such an act a couple of centuries ago at the hands of a man she fell for.

She recalled her last memories and realized that Nik, preferring to call Niklaus Nik as compared to Klaus and his full name, daggered her when she chose Stefan over him and she didn't know Stefan's fate.

Her thoughts were cut short as she smelled blood, the Original Hybrid thought that she needed a little incentive to get moving so he cut the human that was going to be his sister's victim and sure enough the first female vampire was out of her coffin in but a moment and upon the human. Rebekah made sure to drink him dry before setting her eyes upon her bastard brother, fury in her eyes.

She super sped in front of him with a punch at the ready but when she was close enough she changed her target and weapon, she wanted to hit him where it would hurt the most. Niklaus was prepared for a punch, oh he expected one at least or for her to stab him with the stake he left beside her coffin but what he didn't expect was for Rebekah to aim low.

When she was in range the female Mikaelson kicked him right between the legs and down went the Alpha of the Hybrid Pack, gasping as his hands reached low to cup his hurt penis and balls and probably the whole area, pretty sure she did a lot more damage than any woman has ever done to a man in world history.

The female Mikaelson took pleasure in watching Nik roll around on the floor with clear agony on his face but it wasn't real pleasure she felt because a moment later tears fell down her cheeks.

"How many years of my life did you take, Nik?" She asked, leaning down near the ancient man. "How many years of my life did you take, Nik?!"

The fact that Klaus daggered her hurt more the longer she thought about it. She stood by his side while Finn, Elijah and Kol conspired against him. She was always there for him but the one time she wanted something for herself he daggered her and took it away.

Instead of getting her answer two people, a female and male, super sped into the room they were in and tried to get her away from her, key word being tried. Rebekah reacted quickly and went straight to the male's head and twisted it, letting the body fall down, then gave her attention to the female, noticing her eyes were that of a werewolf.

Now careful, the ancient girl moved quickly and had the female hybrid in a headlock, already guessing that Nik succeeded in breaking the curse their mother placed on him and that he made hybrids like him, what he's always wanted.

When the pain receded enough for him to focus on what was happening around him Klaus saw his half sister holding his very first hybrid in a headlock, eyes locked with his and struggled to get to his feet.

"How many years of my life did you take from me, Niklaus?" Rebekah repeated her question once again, purposefully using his full name and that made the Original Hybrid realize just how furious she was with him and seeing that Kimberly had her hybrid eyes on display he knew his furious sister already knew that he broke his curse and made hybrids.

"Nine decades." Replied the Alpha of the Hybrid Pack, cautious.

Kimberly wasn't just a hybrid, she was the very first non-original of his kind, unique and special, the first hybrid he turned and didn't plan to lose her.

"Ninety years..." Rebekah repeated to herself and found that she shouldn't be so surprised since Finn spent longer than that but that just made the whole thing hurt more.

"And what is she to you?" She followed up, referring to Kimberly who couldn't say anything because each time she tried to or struggled the older vampire tightened her hold on her neck.

"Nothing, you know that." Replied Klaus, and somehow his first hybrid found that painful to hear.

That elicited a sweet smile from the First Female Vampire.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I do to her what you did to Stefan, would you, Nik?" She asked, placing her other hand over Kimberly's diaphragm and making the hybrid fear for her life.

The Original Hybrid on the other hand finally felt like things were getting back to his control at that.

"That bloke, he's still alive and kicking." He informed and enjoyed the confusion that overtook Rebekah's facial features.

"What?" She asked.

Kimberly used that very moment of weakness to her favor and got out of the original vampire's hold but she didn't get far because Rebekah recovered just in time to bury her hand in the girl's back, bypassing the spine for the heart.

"Sorry, love. I don't believe my brother's words and as one of his hybrids I think he values you too much to even lie to me for your sake." She said to the hybrid, moving over to a waking Daniel and placed her foot on his throat before looking at Klaus who was now on his feet, recovered.

"You've always wanted vampire-werewolf hybrids like yourself, Nik. I doubt you want me to kill them all, starting with these two. What did you do to Stefan?"

"The question you should be asking, dear sister, is where is Stefan? He's currently in a small town alive and well and I have a witch watching him, getting him ready for you." Said the vampire-werewolf hybrid, pulling out his phone and showed a picture of Stefan Salvatore to the Original Vampire.

Still a good night?

Break

The McCall Pack cleaned up their mess in the clearing in the woods before two donated their blood for their alpha and then they left, each heading home around eight that night. All in a good mood and with leftovers. When Scott got home he sat with his mother as she eat some of the leftovers, catching up. Later that night he received a call from an unexpected caller, Bonnie Bennett-Hopkins.

"Remember when you said if I want to talk?" Was Bonnie's greeting.


	14. Chapter 14

After the night call from Mystic Falls by Bonnie Scott looked at the USB flash drive Malia gave to him and he couldn't believe what was on it. There were a lot of files containing assassination contracts, all by Corrine, that were already complete and one that became void when the Desert Wolf died.

It looked like she accepted a job before she came to Beacon Hills that she was going to complete after killing Malia but since the True Alpha killed her the contractor cancelled the assassination.

The assassination contract was on a man by the name Lucien Castle, the founder, owner and CEO of Kingmaker Land Development who happened to also be an ancient vampire rumoured to be more than one thousand years old.

The unknown contractor gave the warning that if the Desert Wolf was captured she would likely be experimented on as Kingmaker Land Development was a front company for Lucien Castle's real activities which included hunting down supernatural people and experimenting on them.

When the McCall read that part he immediately thought about the Dread Doctors, their experiments and ultimate goal, resurrecting the Beast of Gevaudan. He looked at his open palm, protracted a claw from the other hand and sliced a line across the palm, wounding himself.

A moment later black smoke escaped from the wound, closing it while the leftover blood turned to black smoke and disappeared, leaving his palm clean and fully healed. Scott discovered this ability during training with the Pack and what's more that if he doesn't will his blood to stay as blood it turned into black smoke and disappeared.

An ability he took from the Beast of Gevaudan. The boy was just grateful he didn't transform into the Beast. The reason the blood he donated at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital stayed as it was was because he was thinking of blood at the time, being near the hospital's blood bank and thinking about how he preferred supernatural blood was a blessing in disguise.

Questions would have been asked if the nurse that conducted the blood donation saw his blood turn to black smoke and disappear. Now there was another ancient entity who was experimenting on supernatural species and probably humans as well with an unknown goal, definitely nothing good if the Dread Doctors' example was anything to go by.

But as much as Scott wanted to stop Lucien Castle and his experiments he had high school to finish and so did his pack and Jordan had a job to keep. He couldn't just tell them to put their lives on hold so that they could stop an ancient vampire, and who knows how many people working for him, who was experimenting on supernaturals but he also couldn't let someone whose ego was so big that he named his company Kingmaker, as if that wasn't a clue to the kind of person he was, to experiment on unwilling people either.

Moments like these made the True Alpha question the sanity of people who wanted to be alphas. Decision making was one of the heaviest parts of being an alpha of a pack and came with heavier responsibilities. Scott was sure that Alpha Satomi Ito didn't make the decision of placing the lives of her pack in his and his pack's hands very lightly during the Dead Pool problem, but at least she'd heard about him and his pack.

He hadn't heard anything about Lucien Castle and his Kingmaker Land Development until today, and the contract only told him that the target was Lucien Castle, an ancient vampire who had a front company covering his hunting of supernaturals and experimenting on them. Nothing more nothing less.

The Tribrid recalled questioning the wisdom of storming Beacon Hills First National Bank's vault to save Boyd and whom Derek thought was Erica but turned out to be his younger sister Cora without knowing all the details. While Derek had been willing to risk his life for theirs without knowing everything, Scott wasn't willing to risk his friends, his Pack to stop Lucien.

He already lost Allison and Stiles, he wasn't about to lead Malia, Jordan, Lydia, Liam, Hayden, Mason and Corey to their deaths. Death... The McCall just remembered that he'd planned to visit Peter Hale months ago to ask about the whole werewolf resurrection thing in case he dies again and resurrects since he was a born vampire tribrid.

He'd forgotten about that, or so he'd like to think instead of the truth that he consciously avoided paying that man a visit. With a sigh Scott decided to sleep, his mood not as light as it had been. Regression to the mean. 

Break

Monday morning saw Scott arrive at Beacon Hills High School on his dirt bike, Lydia waiting for him. They greeted each other before the tribrid told the banshee what Raven1 found out about Mayor Carol Lockwood and sent her the pictures he took of the woman and Tyler while they walked into the school building.

"What do you want to do now?" Asked the boy afterwards.

"I don't know. Maybe ask my mother. Carol looks exactly like her." Said the girl, looking at the pictures.

They suddenly heard something crash a few feet behind them followed by an ouch and turning around to find Natalie Martin whose cup just slipped from her hands. Natalie was on her way to her office from the teacher's kitchen when she overheard her daughter's voice, more so what she said and what she heard took her by surprise, totally off guard.

"Mom? Mom!" Reacted Lydia, realizing that her mother overhead them.

"Ly-Lydia. Don't you have class to get to?" Replied the woman, needing sometime to recompose herself.

"Not right now. I have twenty minutes before my first class but I do have questions that need answers." Responded the girl, and turned her phone with the picture of Carol Lockwood on display in the older Martin's direction.

"Who is she?" Inquired Lydia, glad the hallways were essentially empty.

Scott took that as his cue to leave the mother and daughter alone since it was family business but the latter didn't let him leave, she linked their hands together instead, effectively telling him to stay and the former didn't miss that move so...

"Who is who, honey?" Asked Natalie, picking up the pieces of her cup instead of looking at the phone but her daughter wasn't about to let the issue go.

"Who is Carol Lockwood and who is she to you?" Pressed Lydia.

The mention of Carol caused the banshee's mother to accidentally cut herself with a piece of the broken cup. She might not have known about Carol being a Lockwood now but from what she heard earlier this Carol looked like her and there was only one Carol who would look like her, her twin sister, her older twin sister.

Scott held his breath at the sight of the blood, not wanting to risk smelling fresh blood without properly composing himself. Lydia noticed and quickly thought of an idea.

"Scott could you help clean the mess while I help my mom get the cut looked at?" Asked the girl, already moving to help Natalie.

The woman welcomed the distraction with open arms and let her daughter walk her to the nurse's office since the cut seemed pretty deep, leaving a nodding McCall behind. Scott mentally prepared himself before going to work. The blood rewards he took seemed to take him back a step and that was not good, it looked like he had to stop them or risk a relapse.

Break 

Tyler felt the difference when he arrived at school, his fellow werewolves were not around anymore. But while he felt a little disappointed by that Stefan found himself glad the werewolves weren't around.

He wasn't as strong and as fast as he was before Tuesday so he couldn't protect Elena like he wanted to and that was maddening enough, he didn't need Scott McCall and Liam Dunbar around, Klaus was enough. Talking about the Original Hybrid, the depowered vampire was starting to suspect something was up.

Klaus was a very proud individual and liked lording his power and leverage over people around, oh and hearing himself talk, so it was a bit strange that he had Greta as a middle woman. But then again, Elijah did say that his half brother was paranoid and a recluse. Stefan was just tired of feeling powerless both figuratively and literally.

Elena noticed that her boyfriend was lost in his thoughts and took the time to look at him as they walked the hallways. She could tell the issue of being depowered bothered him, something that caused him to drink more blood than usual probably with the hopes of getting his powers back.

The girl was just realizing how little they really knew of the supernatural world and what witches were truly capable of, and by they she meant even Stefan and Damon before his death.

Elena tried to think of a reason a vampire and a witch would work together to depower another vampire and witch instead of killing them aside from the reason being that they did that to save two humans, two high school learners around her age, from her boyfriend and maybe punish him by making him just as powerless as those learners felt. She knew the Salvatore probably thought about it.

Someone else who did think about it was Bonnie Bennett but she wasn't alone, so did Matthew "Matt" Donovan and he rejoiced. He thought it was about time vampires received a taste of their own medicine, well sort of, more so Damon and Stefan Salvatore for the hell they brought to Mystic Falls. Matt knew that he was probably bias but there were dead bodies and missing people to give weight to his view.

There would always be a part of him that believed if they hadn't come to town his late older sister Vicki Donovan would still be alive, their presence brought about death and pain at every corner and put Elena in danger more than both brothers wanted to admit.

What happened to Stefan troubled Caroline but she tried to not think about it. She enjoyed being a vampire way more than being human and though she didn't turn by choice she was now a vampire and she couldn't imagine losing her powers and feeling like she did as a human, more so how Damon made her feel; weak and pathetic.

The girl truly felt sorry for her vampire mentor's situation but she wasn't one to brood so when she saw one of her best friends Bonnie Bennett at her locker looking a lot more well rested than she thought the witch would be after Jeremy's funeral she didn't waste any time in approaching her.

"Hey!" Greeted the vampire, gaining the Bennett-Hopkins' attention.

"Good morning, Caroline." Replied Bonnie, closing her locker.

"It's definitely a good morning, isn't it?" Inquired the Forbes, voice suggestive.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked the witch, looking at her vampire friend who gave her a 'really?' look. 

Her vampire friend... Life sure had a funny way of working. Bonnie mentally laughed at the thought that vampires were definitely her least favorite species but one of her best friends was one. The fact that she currently only knew four supernatural species; witches, werewolves, vampires (original and non-original) and an original vampire-werewolf hybrid, and humans didn't matter.

"Oh nothing. I mean the last time I saw you you didn't look like you had any sleep in a week and the next time I see you you appear all well rested on a Monday school morning while other learners are busy trying to stay awake." Replied Caroline, and as if on cue a learner nearby walked right into a locker face first, eliciting chuckles all around.

"I don't see you walking into lockers face first." Remarked the Bennett, but a smile grew on her face.

She took a chance last night and impulsively called Scott McCall. Being home alone and the silence in the house got too much for the girl so she found herself calling the boy and cashing in the offer to seek him out if she wanted to talk.

Flashback

"Remember when you said if I want to talk?" Was Bonnie's greeting.

"Uh, yeah." Replied Scott, obviously surprised.

"Does the offer still stand?" Asked the girl, heart beating fast.

The witch didn't know why she called the person she knew the least on her contact list but he answered and though she did didn't really know what she'd talk with him about it was better than the silence and her thoughts.

"Yeah. Are you OK?"

"I don't know. I don't even know why I called you and not Elena or Caroline." Said Bonnie, feeling rather lost.

"Maybe you just need to talk to someone other than your friends. It happens that a person needs some time to themselves outside people they know and talking to people they don't personally know can provide a peace of mind and even an open mind. Your subconscious mind probably knows this already which may be why you call me instead." Responded Scott, thankful for Psych.

That gave the witch pause as she considered what the boy said. It made sense and it was better than thinking that her best friends were too busy and dealing with their own things. That thought somehow brought a little smile to the Bennett's face, improving her mood a little. When she noted that she had to acknowledge the validity of what the 'werewolf' she called said.

Flashback End

Present

Bonnie's impulsive call turned out to be a good call on her part because by the end of it she felt lighter than she did before it. It helped that Scott was in a good mood and it was kind of contagious even through a voice call, more so when the boy told her about the conclusion Liam came to after seeing her wearing his shirt with her hair messy and what he had to deal with as a result of the misunderstanding.

The McCall explained that he hasn't dated or had any sexual relations since a break up a few months ago so his friends playfully made the misunderstanding a big deal. The Bennett just wished that was what she and her friends had to worry about instead of Klaus, Greta and the unknown vampire and witch who made Stefan a powerless vampire and said as much to Scott although omitting the last part.

"My boss once asked me if I've ever heard of regression to the mean. He interpreted regression to the mean as a way of saying life can't ever be all bad or all good, things have to come back to the middle. It was his way of telling me that though things were hard at the time they wouldn't stay that way forever." The McCall had responded with those words, and they stayed in the girl's mind.

"What about the bright smile on your face? What's that about?" Caroline changed direction.

"Regression to the mean." Answered the Bennett girl, wishing for the regression to the mean effect to take place already so that Klaus could be out of their lives.

"What's does Maths and statistics of all things have to do with you smiling?" Inquired the Forbes, not getting the point.

"Everything." Replied Bonnie, shrugging while linking arms with a confused Caroline as they went to their first period.

Break

It turned out Natalie's wound wasn't as deep as it seemed so it was taken care of pretty quickly, to her misfortune because Lydia was still by her side and ended up saying more than she intended.

"Some things are better off left in the past, Lydia so let this go." She said, and immediately regretted it.

"And the past has a funny way of revealing itself, mom, trust me." Was the banshee's response.

The girl knew what she was talking about. Scott got bitten because of the past and everything that happened afterwards has had a touch of the past in one form or another, including what Dr Valack did to her at Eichen House. At that moment the bell rang, signaling the end of the interrogation and Lydia left, leaving her mother with thoughts of the past.

The younger Martin's words echoed and Natalie was struck by hearing the unsaid 'I would know'. It's was more than obvious now that Lydia and her friends were maturing faster than they should. Although the woman was proud of the young woman her daughter was becoming she also worried.

Break

Klaus had to endure entertaining Rebekah as she went through culture shock due to her involuntary ninety years of hiatus.

After he assured her that Stefan was alright, even going so far as to provide evidence, she demanded that the Alpha of the Hybrid Pack get her up-to-date for the rest of the week since he was to blame for her missing the development of the world and she wasn't taking no for an answer, especially after learning that Kimberly and Daniel were his very first hybrids.

Right now the original vampire was busy shopping for a smartphone, asking this and that. She compelled the saleswoman helping her to tell and show her everything there was to know about smartphones, her brother was master at painting but explaining all there was to the extraordinary invention that was smartphone was out of his league cue the saleswoman.

But half the time Rebekah was distracted by the saleswoman's state of dress or lack of. That was something that gained her attention last night while she hunted while Klaus was busy compelling his hybrids to forget about what they walked into, he didn't want to appear weak.

The twenty-first century really was something, the youngest Mikaelson thought. While she was in the store Klaus was outside on a phone call. Finding more werewolves to turn was difficult, especially those that fit his criteria.

It looked like he was going to spend the week being at his younger sister's beck and call while also training his hybrids, their performance against Rebekah was pathetic al though Kimberly showed promise by exploiting his sister's moment of weakness. Yes Klaus was in pain but one had to stay vigilant even in pain. 

Break

Back in Mystic Falls the Town Council was meeting for the first time since Damon Salvatore died and the mood wasn't all that light. They were all fooled by a vampire who presented himself as human and they didn't take that lightly.

"It's quite obvious that vampires have infested Mystic Falls, considering one infested this council and became our late 'leader'." Began Pastor Young, looking at everyone in the room. "And I think it's safe to say that there needs to be new protocols put in place to prevent what happened from happening again."

"That's true, Pastor Young. But before we continue we need to select a new leader." Said Member1.

"How can we select a new leader with our previous standards still standing? How do we even know that there isn't another vampire amongst us right now?" Questioned Doctor Meredith Fell, a medical doctor at Mystic Falls Hospital, asking the question everyone was thinking. "Before we select a leader we need to make sure that all members are human."

"And that we get a new vervain supplier." Added Mayor Carol Lockwood.

"What about Zach Salvatore? He's bound to return..."

"Damon Salvatore was the one who told me Zach took a trip and he turned out to be a vampire. We have to assume Damon killed Zach and everything that has to do with Damon Salvatore and all Salvatore's is a lie." Said Carol, interrupting Member2.

With everyone going silent Meredith took out a small container from her handbag.

"Is that...?" Asked Sheriff Elizabeth "Liz" Forbes.

"Vervain? Yes it is, Sheriff Forbes. You didn't think I would suggest that we ensure that we're all humans without the means, did you?" Meredith finished Elizabeth's question before rhetorically asking her own, an eyebrow raised. "I'd like everyone to confirm that this really is vervain before we proceed."

At that the small container went around the room and all eleven members confirmed that indeed the Fell brought forth vervain. She proceeded to take the water container atop the table and to their confusion poured half of the water in a few plant pots before pouring the vervain inside it then properly mixing the solution.

They began to understand Meredith's goal was to increase the concentration of the solution, a good idea. By the time the woman was done the tension in the room was pretty high, with everyone mentally preparing themselves in case there was another vampire who infested their council.

Elizabeth was wondering who would be the next leader and how said leader was going to go about eliminating vampire's in town, she was worried about her daughter's safety as none of the others sympathized with vampires, more so those from founders families.

The doctor poured everyone their share of the vervain solution before the members of the Town Council began to drink the solution, one at a time while others watched for the telltales, starting with Doctor Meredith Fell herself.

She passed the test but from then on the tension in the room increased even more as she took a stand in front of the door, a pointy wood stake in hand. It was obvious what was going to happen to a member found to be a vampire, even if the vampire(s) we're long time members.

The next person who drank the vervain solution was Mayor Carol Lockwood who passed the test as well followed by Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes then Pastor Young, and they too passed the test and took positions around the exit points, windows and one joining Meredith, armed as well.

One by one the last seven followed, tension increasing with each one that passed and finally only one was left, their last addition to the council before Damon joined by the name Malcolm. With a determined look in his eyes the man turned out to be a human as well, dissolving the tension in the room and filling it with relief.

"Well, since there isn't anymore vampires, may we continue and choose our new leader?" Proposed Pastor Young.

They all agreed with the town's mayor conducting the selection. Each member was given a piece of paper to right their nominee and Meredith Fell ended up being appointed the new Head of the Town Council since she was the most prepared of them all and took charge of the situation they had without a problem.

"Before we leave..." Began Member3, who happened a journalist for the local news channel. "I'd like to make you all aware that a fellow journalist has become quite obsessed with uncovering the real story behind the sudden increase in 'animal attacks', missing persons report, murders and stolen blood bags at the hospital.

She's really motivated to find the truth and has begun earning attention and a following that will increase the longer we let vampires do as they please in our town."

"Thank you, Member3. I believe now that we don't have a leak in our group we will do better and get rid of the vampires that have infested our beloved town." Replied the doctor.

"Doctor Fell, I think I speak for everyone when I ask where you acquired the vervain you came with." Said Sheriff Forbes.

"Thank you for that question, Pastor Young. A little before Zach's 'trip' and assumed death he left me a few samples of vervain and his notes in cultivating the plant. I didn't really understand his reasoning back then but with the reveal of his possible death at the hands of his own nephew, I think Zach wanted to ensure that we would still have a supplier upon his death. Case in point is our current situation.

I will be taking certain precautions myself to ensure that even if I do die the council will still have a supplier." Replied Meredith, grateful to her friend for looking out for them.

After the meeting ended everyone left on a good note, knowing that there wasn't a vampire amongst them. Or so they thought. They were actually right though, there wasn't a vampire amongst them but a vampire-witch hybrid or as they liked to call themselves, Heretics, and his name was Malcolm. By they he meant his coven of six special vampire-witch hybrids, including himself, and two non-original vampires.

They were currently separated but he and the person he was currently making a phone call to were working on reunion plans.

"What have you got for me?" Was the greeting the witch hybrid received.

"Damon Salvatore is dead. There wasn't anything said about the way he died or who killed him but a new leader has already been chosen and she happens to also be the new vervain supplier, Doctor Meredith Fell. I think the council will be a bit more effective under her leadership but considering a certain sheriff has a vampire for a daughter and said daughter's friends the effectiveness will likely be selective in nature." Informed Malcolm, before he gave a detailed report.

Break

"So did you look at it?" Malia asked Scott during lunch break, seating beside him. 

"Yeah." Replied Scott, glad the younger generation was joining them and that Lydia went to the library to check on something.

"And?" Inquired the girl, and they both stopped eating.

"And I'm conflicted about what to do." Said the boy.

The Alphette was a little surprised by that but not by much. Scott wasn't the same person he was when she first met him or even the first semester of their senior year but none of them were. She understood though why he was conflicted, if they went against Lucien Castle, their goal would be destroying Kingmaker Land Development as a whole and not just the man in charge to prevent someone else from taking over and that didn't guarantee that they would all survive.

That would top the Pack's Eichen House infiltration and exfiltration, with everything that could go wrong way up there since they didn't know much about Lucien and his company. It would be a suicide mission, something the Tate wasn't interested in.

But looking at the McCall she knew that he wouldn't be able to leave Lucien to continue his experiments, it just wasn't in his nature and the vampire's goal might be worse than the Dread Doctors'.

"Whatever you decide, you have my support." Said the Alphette, linking her hand with the boy's and gave it a light squeeze.

"Thanks, Malia. Uh, where did you get the information anyway?" Replied a smiling Scott, before asking as they continued to eat. 

"My mother's lawyer. She dropped it and Corey picked it up and gave it to me. It was only fair since she had a file on me." Summarized a proud Malia, she really was proud of that boy.

The True Alpha on the other hand paused as a thought occurred to him at the revelation.

'Raven2, is there a chance this lawyer dropped the flash drive on purpose?' He asked Raven2, the raven assigned to watch over Malia.

The raven took sometime to review his and Raven4 and Raven8's memories as the last two were Lydia and Corey's assigned raven's, respectively, and had their eyes in the restaurant.  
'There might be, True Alpha. She, Attorney Neo Mokoena, at least saw the flash drive fall out of her briefcase and briefly followed it with her eyesight.' Responded Raven2.

'So this might be a trap...'

'Or a way to get you and the Pack to complete the Desert Wolf's last job since she died at your house on a mission to kill Malia.' Said Raven1, interrupting the McCall to make him aware of another possibility. 'Or both. If the assassination contract is still active and you complete the mission but die in the process the attorney would likely get to keep the payment and the credit of taking out the McCall Pack, all without getting her hands dirty.'

"Scott, what is it?" Asked Malia, noticing her fellow alpha's troubled face and scent.

"Why would a lawyer keep incriminating evidence against her late client when that could incriminate her too and take that evidence with her to a meeting with that client's daughter, the same daughter the client was on a mission to kill when she was killed instead by an unidentified individual?" Questioned Scott, trying to rationalize his suspicion.

"And accidentally lose the incriminating evidence while looking for something the daughter asked for and the lawyer just so happened to have on her and keep at the same location as the incriminating evidence?" Lydia's sudden contribution to the conversation startled the two alphas as they didn't expect her to join them so soon. "It's no wonder people started acting strange towards us, we barely mind what we're saying and where we're saying it."

Neither the werecoyote nor the werewolf hybrid could argue with that. It sure seemed like they were careless in that regard.

"So... Want to fill me in?" Inquired the banshee, and the Tate and McCall proceeded to fill her in even on their opinions although they were a lot more careful this time around hence they didn't mention any names. "Yeah, this seems like a set up. Its almost like the lawyer (Neo) knows the leader (Scott) isn't going to be able to stop his heroism from shining through and is counting on it.

Makes me think she has a file on him too and if she does she must also know about the leader's history of beating insurmountable odds against his enemies no matter the species, numbers or power, and has a backup plan in place."

"Good thing the most important things in the file are outdated then." Commented Malia, just as the lunch break ended.

'Good thing indeed.' Thought Scott, having been thinking about what to do.

It's seemed like Attorney Neo Mokoena needed to be assigned a Raven of her own though with a different purpose and that's exactly what he was going to do. 

'Raven3, I have a new mission for you.' Said the True Alpha, while on his way to class with his friends.

Raven3 was the raven assigned to watch over Jordan but with the hellhound's connection to Lydia Raven4 would be able to tell if she sensed something wrong with Jordan and report it to get him help. This made Raven3 available to take a mission.

Scott was keeping Raven1 close for the time being and the raven would check up on the Parrish every now and then. If Neo Mokoena wanted to mess with his Pack and innocent people's lives she wasn't going to benefit anything but what was coming to her.

Yes, Scott McCall wasn't likely to be able to stop his heroism from shining through, not when there were people being hunted down and experimented on. But he wasn't going to blindly lead his friends, his pack to their deaths either and he had Cerberus to thank. The hellhound spirit's word's in the mindscape or soulscape from yesterday stuck with him and he wasn't going to forget them.

"Beware what you receive with open arms, anomaly." Warned Hellhound Spirit Cerberus and True Alpha Scott McCall heeded the warning of the Bearer of Death and a Guardian of the Supernatural, for to do otherwise would be foolish and deadly for the McCall Pack and it's allies.


	15. Chapter 15

Once done with getting Rebekah a smartphone she liked which happened to currently be in a special combo which included a laptop the poor saleswoman had to explain in detail Klaus had to take her shopping for clothes, and if he thought she spent a long time selecting a phone then choosing her new clothes took an eternity.

The ancient girl took her time building her style from scratch with the help of four semi-compelled salesmen and saleswomen who also took pictures with her new phone and Klaus who was getting her up to date on world development and the more pressing issues.

Rebekah couldn't wait to reunite with Stefan and make up for lost time although something didn't seem right. She knew her dagger happy half brother was withholding important information from her but she couldn't tell what.

"Where's my necklace, Nik?" Asked the girl when they were about to leave the store.

"Which necklace?" Inquired a tired hybrid, hoping against hope that she didn't want to go jewelry shopping.

"The Original Witch's necklace, obviously."

"That old thing? I didn't take it off you, Rebekah. Maybe you lost it while changing." He replied not nonchalantly.

"I wasn't wearing it when you undaggered me." Responded a troubled Rebekah.

"Did you look inside the coffin?" Asked the hybrid, and not even a second later his sister was out of the store, leaving him behind with a ridiculous amount of bags carrying her new clothes and shoes.

He wasn't surprised though, Rebekah valued that thing that their mother gave her but he never cared much about it or anything to do with her, not when the woman made him weak his entire natural life when she knew just how much Mikael loathed weakness to protect herself and proceeded to make him weak to please her barbarian of a husband who couldn't handle the truth when it came out for a thousand years. Klaus was glad Esther Mikaelson didn't make herself a vampire, if she did she would have been in the same place as Finn, Elijah and Kol, that was for sure.

Break

"I can't wait to graduate already." Said Malia, Lydia and Scott walking alongside her as the three walked to the parking lot after school.

"And get out of Beacon Hills, get some fresh air." Added the banshee.

"I don't know, I kind of don't want us to graduate just yet. Who knows when we will be together again after graduation and we go our separate ways? I mean I know we need a break from Beacon Hills after all that's happened but..."

"But it feels like the end of something you don't want to let go though you know you need to." Lydia completed the McCall's sentence, knowing how he felt. "It's called growing up."

"At least you guys know what you want to do after high school, I don't. What I do know is that I can't wait to graduate." Said the werecoyote.

"You'll find what you want to do in time, Malia. In the mean time don't pressure yourself." Responded Scott, eliciting a small smile from the Tate before a frown replaced it. 

"Wait, where are you going? Aren't you supposed to be at practice?" She inquired, as they reached the True Alpha's dirt bike.

"Nope. Coach gave us a day off to rest. I'm going to see Peter right now." Replied the boy.

"Peter?" Lydia and Malia asked in unison, surprised.

"Yeah. I've been planning to pay him a visit but putting it off. I want to know more about werewolf resurrection and he's the only one I know with the knowledge and personal experience so..."

"Good luck with that. Peter might have the knowledge and 'personal' experience but he'll definitely want something in return." Said the Martin.

"What she said." Echoed the Tate born Hale, knowing that even being his daughter didn't mean much to Peter Hale.

"Doesn't he always? Want to come?"

"Nope. I'll see you later." Replied Malia, heading for her car.

She knew that he would tell her what went on when she arrives at his house tonight so she didn't need to be there. And Peter was more than likely going to ask that Scott get him out of Eichen House but the McCall could just compel what he wants to know out of her biological father so...

"I've had enough of Eichen House for a lifetime." Was Lydia's response, she too leaving but not before checking for her mother's car since she hasn't seen her since this morning while the Alpha of the McCall Pack got on his bike. 

Break

To Rebekah's dismay she never found the necklace and she didn't take that well, not at all. It had a thousand years of sentimental value, the most precious thing she owned but somehow it disappeared and she couldn't blame anyone else but Klaus. Since he had a witch dumb enough to work for him she demanded that they go to her and have her find it. There was no way the original vampire was going to let it go but her infuriating brother had other plans in mind, to get at least four more hybrids before heading to the small town he refused to tell her the name of, the bastard.

With her shopping mood ruined Rebekah turned to the Internet. She searched this and that, everything and anything that came to mind both on her laptop and phone including how to adapt and fit in the twenty-first century until she grew bored and went out to find a human to feed on.

Break

When Lydia arrived home she found Natalie seating in the dinning room at the dinning table with a bottle of wine and an almost empty glass beside reading glasses, a box to the side and photos laid out on the table in front of her. 

"Sit." Instructed a slightly tipsy Natalie.

The girl followed the instruction, caught off guard as she came closer and saw tear marks on her mother's face which combined with the almost empty glass of wine made her feel guilty.

"Are you OK, mom?" Asked the banshee, her eyes glancing at the pictures but they were all facing down.

"I don't know, but you are right, the past has a funny way of revealing itself. How did you find Carol?" Responded the human, hoping her older twin sister wasn't in town though a part of her did.

"I didn't, Scott did. He saw a woman who looks exactly like you while in Mystic Falls and later found out who she is and he and Liam befriended her son Tyler." Answered Lydia, seeing that her mother seemed ready to talk about Carol.

It looked like Scott McCall was involved in everything nowadays, thought Natalie. And Liam was likely to take over when he left for university. At least now she knew where Carol was after years of not knowing. Carol... 

"Carol, Lydia, is my older twin sister and your aunt. She left Beacon Hills a few months before your birth and I haven't heard from her since. We didn't part on good terms so... We didn't keep it touch." The woman informed her daughter.

"But why am I just finding out about her now, mom? It's been almost two decades." Questioned the girl.

"I... Your... It doesn't matter, Lydia. She left and never came back, let's leave it at that. I don't pry into what you and your friends do so don't pry into my past OK, honey?" Responded Natalie, before she took the bottle of wine and glass and left the room, hearing for her bedroom.

Lydia waited for her to disappear up the stairs before she turned the pictures and the first one was of two identical twin teenage girls who looked like younger versions of her mother while the second one was of a young adult Mr Martin and Natalie, or at least the banshee thought it was her mother. When she was about to turn the third one there was a knock at the door. The Martin got up to check who it was and found...

"Hey, Lydia." Greeted Noah Stilinski, Noah Stilinski and not Sheriff Stilinski because he was wearing casual clothes for a change.

The girl returned the greeting and once the man asked if her mother was ready, it looked like they made plans to go out, she told him that Natalie wasn't feeling well. Though a little disappointed but more concerned Noah wished her a quick recovery and was about to leave when he thought of something.

"You wouldn't happen to know someone who is good with cars, would you?" Asked the Stilinski.

"In which way exactly?"

"Rebuilding one." Responded the human.

"Try Jordan." Replied the girl.

"Jordan? Parrish?"

"The one and only." Said Lydia, curious though not enough to distract her from looking at more of those pictures and seeing what more was inside her mother's box.

When Noah left after thanking her and once again wishing Natalie a speedy recovery the banshee closed her door and went back to what she was doing. 

Break

Peter Hale was puzzled by the news that he had a visitor, his first visitor since Scott and Jordan put him in Eichen House after his failed attempt to dethrone the True Alpha he saw as the usurper of his family's power. That boy had all the power but did not know how to use it or even let it corrupt him even a little bit, something that infuriated the former alpha, especially after what Dr Valack showed him with his third eye his first day inside the hell that was Eichen House. He wondered why he turned Scott in the first place instead of Stiles, Stiles would have made a good little beta, or Jackson. 

The McCall turned out to be nothing but the bane of his existence but didn't have the guts to finish him off. The last time Peter heard anything from the boy was a few months ago when he heard his roar echo throughout the Eichen House, he would recognize his beta's roar anywhere. Word was the McCall Pack broke into Eichen House and walked out with Lydia whom the Hale also heard when she screamed, a feat only the Dread Doctors held before the rebellious beta-turned-true-alpha and his pack added it to their accomplishments.

Peter Hale was quite proud of that boy but he frustrated him, Scott could achieve even more great things only if he stopped being so moral. The werewolf's thoughts were interrupted when he was hit by a familiar scent after the door to the visiting room was opened and when he walked in the scent matched the owner.

"Look who finally decided to pay his alpha a visit." Were Peter's first words to his werewolf progeny in a while, sitting across from him.

"You have never been my alpha, Peter. And you never will." Was Scott's response, glad that he was masking his aura and scent well enough that even the man before him didn't notice anything amiss.

"If I remember correctly it was my bite that turned you." Replied the former alpha.

"True, but I never accepted you, did I?"

"What do you want, Scott?" Asked an annoyed Peter.

"Knowledge only you possess." Scott answered truthfully, having already compelled their supervisor so he wasn't worried.

"Obviously or you wouldn't be here. Be more specific, will you?"

"I want to know everything you know about werewolf resurrection." Specified the boy. 

"Werewolf resurrection? Don't tell me your little beta is dead already, he showed promise or is it Derek?"

"I died a while ago and my mom revived me using CPR and the super full moon. I..." Said Scott, effectively putting himself on the spot and not his pack mates, especially Stiles.

"Who killed you?" Interrupted Peter, wanting to know who succeeded in what he failed.

On the other hand he was impressed with Melissa, that woman sure was something. Scott resisted the urge to roll his eyes, something he didn't usually do but it seemed like the Hale was a little impressed but also disappointed, annoyed and upset that someone else did what he couldn't do.

"That doesn't ma..."

"Well then in that case all you have to do is get me out of this place and I'll tell you all you need to know about werewolf resurrection. Deal?" The man interrupted the McCall once again, leaning forward. 

"Or I can just take the knowledge out of your mind and leave you in here." Responded Scott, also leaning forward, looking the werewolf in the eye though not to initiate compulsion. "I've had some practice mind melding after all, it wouldn't be hard though I might make a mistake and leave you paralyzed."

Peter recoiled, caught off guard by the response and almost indifferent tone the boy used. The look in the McCall's eyes told him that he wasn't kidding, it warned him and he couldn't help but just stare at the alpha before him. The omega asked himself if death was able to change Scott McCall who resisted his, Derek and Deucalion's influence.

Now that he was really looking at Scott Peter could see that everything about the teenager was different, from the way he held himself to the way he talked... Something was different or more accurately things were different. The Scott McCall sitting across from him was not the same Scott McCall who left him at the care of Eichen House, but...

"Oh really? Even at Malia's expense?" Retorted Peter, recomposing himself. 

Regardless of how much death could change Scott McCall, his friends, his pack would always be his weakness as much as they were his strength, that the man was at least certain about.

"What does that mean?" Asked Scott but when the man didn't reply he asked another question "Did it ever cross your mind that Kate could have killed Malia instead of the other way around?" 

The former alpha didn't respond to that but the McCall wasn't expecting him to. It was just a question he asked himself after Malia told him the werewolf's plan, if he was willing to send her to her death.

"That's what I thought. You..."

"Sometime from now an organization that specializes in hunting down supernaturals and experimenting on them is going to add one member of your pack to their experiments." Interrupted Peter, having enough of the boy.

"What?"

"When you left me in here I was given a special roommate I'm sure you've had to deal with, Dr Valack. He showed me an interesting vision that I'm sure you want to know about but since it's a vision stimulated by external and extraordinary means I'm not so sure you'll be able to access it with mind melding so you only have one option, to get me out of here and then I'll tell you all you need to know."

The McCall didn't have to think that much to figure out that the organization was Kingmaker Land Development though which one of his pack was the... That thought came to a halt as he recalled Peter's retort about Malia's expense, which made him think that she was the target and victim in that vision, but there was another way he could be certain.

"I don't believe you." Said the True Alpha, surprising the Hale.

"Are you serious?" Questioned Peter, looking the boy in the eye to see if he really was serious, unknowingly falling for Scott's plan who immediately initiated compulsion with his alpha eyes glowing.

"I don't trust you. Tell me everything about the vision Dr Valack showed you." Compelled the vampire tribrid.

Break

After Jeremy's funeral the fact that he was dead finally sank in and Elena was left to realize that she was the last of her family just as Stefan was of his. Somehow she went from the girl who had it all to the last of her family and the girl surrounded by supernaturals, being a supernatural occurrence herself. Alaric was working on gaining guardianship of her, he felt like it was his responsibility to take care of her and has seen him talking with Caroline's mother Elizabeth.

Talking about the Forbes, it seemed like guilt was eating her up so she helped with the funeral and Elena was sure she was also helping Alaric on his mission to be her official guardian. Apart from that Stefan was going to sleep at his house for the first time in a week tonight and the girl knew it had something to do with Greta and Klaus and his ever fluctuating intake of blood. The powerless witch and ancient hybrid were driving him crazy little by little with the former taunting the Salvatore every chance she got and the Gilbert hoped they would find the witch responsible for depowering him and undo whatever spell was used on him.

Elena was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Bonnie and Caroline talking about an upcoming test later in the week, a test she didn't know about. Her two friends were seating across from her at Mystic Grill.

"What test?" She asked.

"The one Ric told us about during his class on the 'Beacon Hills-Mystic Falls High School Week of History'." Answered Caroline.

"What week of history?"

The Forbes and Bennett looked at their human best friend and their looks said it all, she wasn't paying attention in class.

"Ric sees the week Beacon Hills High spent here as something historical and worth noting, and has a 'nice' test set up." Replied the witch. 

"Don't worry about it, we have a few days to prepare and he said we will all analyze last week to see just how history is made and how it impacts future events." Added the vampire.

Elena asked herself just how much information she missed from her classes just today and when she thought of the last time she studied she found that she couldn't even remember. She knew Caroline wouldn't let herself fall behind, not when years of trying to outdo her drove the human-turned-vampire to always be on her best, even when things weren't going well. And Bonnie clearly paid attention in class and didn't allow herself to get distracted, not when her father would get worried if her grades dropped.

Only if the Gilbert knew just how much her friends really struggled to keep up appearances even on paper, their grades. What did know though was that she had to resume studying and making her school work a priority or else she would fail. The girl wished Klaus would just leave them alone, go on another five hundred years hunt for Katherine and maybe make it a thousand years hunt this time. But that would give Greta more time with Stefan and Elena didn't like that at all, no she didn't.

Break

"About a year and a few months from now Malia is captured and experimented on by an organization with the slogan Deus Qui Fecit • Regem Factorem • circling around a crown on their stamp. She is an alpha when they capture her, the very first recorded and probably unrecorded werecoyote in world history to become an alpha with red eyes like werewolves, hence why they will take her to their main research base somewhere in New Orleans, Louisiana. The experiments..."

"Enough." Said Scott, he knew enough from the Dread Doctors and their operating theaters and 'test subjects' so he took out his phone and went to the recording application. "Repeat the slogan then forget everything a second after before I compelled you."

Guilt was not far since it seemed like he made Malia a target by choosing her to become an alpha but he didn't have time to allow himself to drown in it so he suppressed it nor be awed by the fact that she was the very first alpha werecoyote in world history to have her eyes reflect her position in hierarchy.

"Deus Qui Fecit • Regem Factorem • circling around a crown." Repeated Peter, before he blinked a few times while the Tribrid shifted his eyes to human form and pocketed his phone, record safe and with that done...

"Do you really think I'll believe you after you had Kate turn me into a berserker so that my pack would unknowingly kill me? I told you that you won't get another chance to kill me and I meant what I said." Scott gave his response to the werewolf who turned him into an evolved werewolf.

"I can't believe this. Are you still mad about that?" Reacted Peter, finding the whole thing ridiculous, no memory of what happened.

"Not really, but I can't help wonder if maybe you'll fulfill that 'vision' yourself once I get you released by kidnapping a member of my pack and deliver them to the organization you mentioned. Maybe it's all part of another plan to get my power, seeing the last one failed." Replied the True Alpha, and the Hale didn't miss the dig directed his way but...

"Ever heard the saying "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."? I've come after you enough times, Scott, directly and indirectly but I've failed each time. Gerard failed. Deucalion failed. Professional assassins failed. Even death failed. Being in here has given me time to think and I've realized that to come after you and your friends, your pack, again would be the definition of insanity.

Listen to my heart. You don't have to worry about me coming after you and your pack, Scott. I won't, directly or indirectly. I've grown tired of our little game." Admitted Peter Hale, surprising Scott.

He never thought the man before him would accept defeat but it looked like he was wrong. Something told the McCall that the vision had something to do with tha-No, not the vision specifically but Malia. Maybe seeing whatever the late Dr Valack showed him concerning Malia finally got to Peter, maybe it awakened his paternal instincts... Which would mean the omega werewolf didn't want to be released just for the sake of regaining his freedom, at least not entirely. It meant there was a chance Peter wanted to be released so that he could do something about the vision... Maybe...

"Alright. If you tell me everything about werewolf resurrection and the vision Dr Valack showed you I'll get you released." Concluded Scott.

"Now why would I believe you?" Questioned the Hale, knowing his speech was effective but still...

"Regardless of what you said about mind melding..." Began the boy, protracting his claws on one hand. "I'm pretty sure I can access the vision since it's part of your memories. You might have taught me mind melding, Peter, but that wasn't the last time I used the ritual. I've learned to... Improvise." Said the boy, specifically using the word improvise since that was the last word on the mind melding ritual lesson he gave him.

That wasn't the reassurance the former Beast Alpha wanted, it was more like a threat but...

"That doesn't seem fair. Werewolf resurrection now and the vision on the other side." Replied Peter, and that was a deal the two settled on before the Hale began to give his werewolf progeny another lesson, this time on werewolf resurrection.

He was a bit surprised when he found himself enjoying imparting his knowledge to the younger 'werewolf', especially when the boy showed great interest, even going so far as to ask questions and propose scenarios which lead Peter to unintentionally reveal more than he intended. It was clear now that the True Alpha had finally fully accepted who he was now and that pleased the man. It meant Scott would do whatever was necessary to protect his pack but most of all Malia.

The man knew the boy would do just about anything to protect his friends but just about anything wasn't good enough for him, anything and everything was. As a way to ensure that his daughter would be in good hands, capable hands the Hale ended up intentionally imparting more than just his knowledge of werewolf resurrection. He had recurring nightmares of the vision and he didn't want it to come to pass, he didn't want his only daughter to go through that hell but he didn't want to appear soft either and reveal Malia as his weakness so he made Scott work for the knowledge.

Peter subtly led the boy to try and get more out of him, sharpening the unaware McCall's intelligence gathering skills for he knew those skills would be needed to take down the organization that had its eyes on his only daughter. A Hale was going to make history soon enough and become the first alpha werecoyote in world history and he wasn't about to let some idiots get in the way of that.

In the end Scott learned more than he thought he would from Peter Hale, something didn't seem right about that but the knowledge he acquired blinded him from realizing that he was played, not when some of the knowledge finally gave him more detail about who he was as a true alpha and what he was capable of. 

Break

"Scott, welcome back." Was Doctor Alan Deaton's greeting to the True Alpha upon his entry into the animal clinic.

"Hey, doc." Responded a smiling Scott. "How has things been around here?"

"Good, good. But I think you've earned yourself loyal clients and patients." Replied the druid, thinking about the clients that asked about his protege.

He was glad that he took the boy under his wing and now he was guaranteed a successor when he finally retires in a few years, a successor he knew wouldn't abuse the animal clinic and it's special position and wouldn't let it fall apart. But there was still sometime before that and until then Alan would continue to impart his knowledge as Scott's mentor and druid emissary. With that last though the man went back to work while his protege began his own. 

Break

Kimberly noticed something in the days since Klaus made her a vampire-werewolf hybrid, he didn't know much about being a werewolf. Yes, he was part werewolf but he really didn't know much about werewolves. The only thing that was werewolf about him was anger, oh he had a lot of it but that was it. As powerful as the man was he wasn't going to be taken seriously if he didn't know what he was doing and kept calling himself an alpha of a pack so the young woman knew she had to do something before it was too late, she wasn't planning on losing another pack, not when they had so much potential and still had a vendetta to carry out.

The problem now was how to offer her knowledge to Klaus and get him to awaken his werewolf instincts without inciting the already mentioned anger. Or maybe anger was exactly what the Original Hybrid needed although it would have to be a specific kind of anger, thought Kimberly.

Break

After closing Beacon Hills Animal Clinic for the day Doctor Doctor Deaton and his young assistant changed their focus towards the GS (green substance or serum), with Scott taking the lead while Alan took the back seat. The druid didn't go over what he and Melissa discovered, wanting to see just what the boy had in mind. The McCall took his time setting the items he needed on an examination table which included a white chalk, an A3 pink paper, a ruler, the untouched GS sample, his secondary talisman (Rebekah's missing necklace) and seven candles for Air, Dark, Earth, Fire, Light, Neutral/Equilibrium, Water.

He proceeded to draw a perfect hexagon on the paper with the help of a ruler and connected the angles to the center, taking his time, then placed the candles accordingly. Doctor Deaton saw that Scott didn't just place the candles randomly, each one was carved with what it represented and when he placed them on the hexagon he placed them alphabetically with the exception of Neutral which the boy placed last at the center of the hexagon. With that done and the talisman in direct contact with his skin the witch tribrid spread his arms wide and with a clear and calm mind began to channel.

"Incendia."

And just like that Scott lit the candles. The druid noted that the flames were far more controlled than they previously were when his protege did did the spell, meaning the talisman was helping him channel the correct amount of magic instead of over doing it like before.

"Shift your eyes." Instructed the McCall, shifting his own to alpha red with black vessels underneath as he poured the GS in each triangle.

Alan was curious why but did it anyway. His eyes shifted from their natural colour to druid white as he channeled his own kind of magic and supplemented it with telluric current energy to preserve his own.

"Missa explicare monstrarem redit sex uni et sex." Chanted the witch tribrid, and...

Nothing happened. The veterinarian expected something big which was why he tapped into the telluric current but it seemed it was for not. Or so it seemed until he saw the GS ignite in flames in the six triangles although in different colours. Air was colourless and moving like air, Dark black, Earth brown and more stable than the rest, Fire fiery, light white and water colourless although the flame moved like water.

The flames extended into the other triangles and made a complete circle, producing a very nice display, especially when the man realized that the flames were dancing as one and not in competition, Neutral/Equilibrium. It wasn't until the GS disappeared entirely and the flames began to die down that Doctor Deaton noticed that the smoke released was wasn't dispersing and vanish but settling on the paper inside the hexagon and forming words.

Some of the words were of the substances Alan and Melissa found in GS using scientific means but others weren't, even the nine herbs were listed. The most eye catching for the Deaton was ghost rider venom written in green and kept disappearing and reappearing even as the others names solidified.

"Suctus Incendia."

With the words evoked the candle flames extinguished and alpha and emissary were left to look at the words written which they concluded were the ingredients that made GS.

"Ghost rider venom? I think Kira once mentioned something about her parents telling her about ghost riders, the wild hunt." Commented Scott.

"A myth about phantom hunters who take people during thunderstorms and ride lightning, accompanied by hounds. They don't seem like a myth anymore." Said the druid, not knowing what to make of the revelation.

"Hounds? Hounds as in hellhounds? Lydia found out what Jordan was by linking him to the wild hunt..."

"This is troubling. I didn't even know there was such a thing as ghost rider venom. How did the Dread Doctors even get it in the first place?"

Though the question was rhetorical the McCall was about to suggest they ask the one person who would have the answers, Jordan, or more specifically Cerberus but something told him the hellhound spirit wasn't going to say much so he didn't.

Alan paused his questions and curiosity for later, taking the time to marvel at his protege's creation and accomplishment. He still didn't know Scott's endgame with their findings nor was he sure if the boy even had an endgame. A few months ago the whole project appeared as though it was a distraction, a distraction from the pain of losing Stiles and learning to control his blood thirst but with the true alpha's recent creation and accomplishment the vet truly hoped the tribrid had a goal in mind.

With that thought passing Alan and Scott analyzed their findings and wrote them down. There was still a lot to do even after finding out the ingredients that made a serum that was powerful enough to revitalize and resurrect, their new findings were actually a start of a project that could take years, decades even and the veterinarian knew that very well. His and Melissa's purpose at this stage was to get the boy started on the right track for Scott McCall wasn't just going to be True Alpha McCall but also Doctor McCall.


	16. Chapter 16

Klaus breathed a sigh of relief when his sister left the house, as much as he missed her she could be a handful and the whole thing with her necklace just made her worse. Right now the hybrid was enjoying a glass of blood in peace and quiet, thinking about his next move while waiting for information on potential hybrids.

"When are we going to start training in our wolf forms?" A voice suddenly asked, Kimberly's, disturbing his peace and quiet.

"When I say so..." Replied the man.

"And when will that be? When you've taken a crash course on Werewolf 101 and know what you're actually-ough!"

The First Non-Original Hybrid never got to finish her question because within half a moment Klaus had broken a wooden chair to equip himself with a makeshift stake and within another half a moment the stake found its way into her heart.

"Know your place, love. Or I'll feed you your heart." Threatened the Original Hybrid, holding the other end of the stake, having purposefully missed his first beta's heart by a good centimeter.

There was no way he was going to kill the very second of his kind in world history but she didn't need to know that so she tried to pull the stake out to no success so... 

"You... (cough) You act... You wa... (cough) Want to be... alpha of a vam-vampire-werewolf pack... (cough) But you behave more... More like a vampire than a... A werewolf. (cough-cough) You know... You know nothing about werewolves... This-this proves it. (cough followed by an intake of breath)" Kimberly's response caught Klaus off guard, granting her time to say what she wanted to say. "You're nothing but a vampire in a vampire-werewolf hybrid's body...

A vampire will never be an alpha of a werewolf pack, not even of a vampire-werewolf hybrid pack... (couch) Let me teach you to be the werewolf you were born to be and you teach us to be vampires... So that we can be a true hybrid pack and m-maybe you'll earn my respect... And loyalty..."

"Don't hold your breath, darling. Nik will never earn anyone's respect or loyalty." Said Rebekah, before she proceeded to head to her room, having returned from feeding.

That's all Kimberly heard before the male Mikaelson snapped her neck with more force than needed, fury in his eyes. He couldn't believe that she had the audacity to blatantly disrespect him like she did, especially to say all that she said while staring him in the eye, challenging him. If the female hybrid wasn't his very first one he would have already gotten rid of her. 

Break

Scott didn't return home until later in the night due to losing track of time with his mentor, leaving Malia to have dinner with Melissa McCall. It wasn't hard to see where the Alpha of the McCall Pack got his compassion and empathy from when one has met the woman who not only birthed him but also raised him. That thought often led the werecoyote to herself and her parents, both adoptive and biological. She realized that though her adoptive family contributed to her development in her first nine years of life the last eight years in the wild were what essentially built her character.

Corrine and Peter only contributed their genes and nature but not that of a killer, no, the nature they gave her was that of a predator. It took Malia some time to understand that but once Scott quoted a saying he picked up from her cousin Derek Hale, who picked it up from his mother and her aunt the late Talia Hale, to the pack during a training session and added his own twist she finally did.

"We're predators. We don't have to be killers." Was what the McCall had said but then added. "Predators kill only when it's necessary."

Having spent almost half her life in the wild the Secondary Alpha of the McCall Pack could attest to the last part, it was true predators normally killed only when it was necessary, It was rare for them to kill for sport. She might not be as empathic as most of her pack, something the nurture of the wild didn't and couldn't allow her or any animals in the wild, or be the ambassador of 'thou shalt not kill unless absolutely necessary' but she was not born a killer nor born to kill and she didn't want to be, she was born a predator, a werecoyote.

The night Malia realized that she went to sleep with a smile on her face, knowing the difference between her biological parents and herself. It was also her first sleepover at the McCall house. Since she wasn't shop happy like Lydia and Scott wasn't really a material guy and she wanted to thank him for helping her, even unknowingly, with a character and an identity crisis she has faced since learning Peter was her father, the girl went with what was familiar as a creature of habit.

Having noticed that the True Alpha's mood began to improve overall, just like her own, after she found him at the hill overlooking Beacon Hills and stayed with him and knowing that werewolves were social people like wolves she graced the McCall with her presence, only this time it was at his house. The bonus was sharing her peace of mind, relief and happiness over finally reaching a conclusion to her character and identify crisis with him via chemo-signals.

Choosing to identify herself as a Tate was the beginning, rescuing Doctor Deaton instead of going after the Desert Wolf was the next step and finally understanding that she was a predator and not just a killer like Corrine and Peter thought was the last step. Malia found herself chuckling as she realized that the person she kind of celebrated her peace of mind with was the same person who put it into chaos in the first place by forcing her to be human again.

She had lost her coyote identity as a result but she found herself once again and this time with both her coyote and human identities intact. The alpha couldn't believe that at one time she hated Scott McCall, with valid reason as he forced her to feel the full force of the guilt of killing her adoptive mother and younger sister and face her adoptive father every single day and not be able to look him in the eye because of what she did even if he saved her life.

Today Malia and Henry had a good father and daughter relationship although it was filled with secrets on her part, something that couldn't be helped.

"Ah... Malia, are you alright?" Asked a puzzled Melissa when the girl suddenly chuckled, cutting through the said girl's thoughts though not her good mood.

"I'm OK." Replied the Tate, even as a tear fell down her cheek.

Normally she would see it as a sign of weakness, something that wasn't allowed to be showed in the wild or around enemies but Melissa McCall wasn't an enemy. The cause of the tear was how she wished Stiles was around to see who she was now after finding herself. Yes, she was still discovering who she was but she knew who she was, if that made sense.

Melissa still stood up, went around the table and gave the girl a hug regardless of her reassurance. With the kind of trauma these kids went through especially these past months the woman wanted them to know and remember that they weren't alone because they weren't, they really weren't. Since her protective son got her to agree to let him train her since he wasn't going to be around (they grow up so fast) the woman wasn't just a medic anymore, she was becoming a combat medic who wielded an eight hundred thousand volts stun baton, gifted to her by said protective son.

That meant if the situation called for it she would be ready to not only help them outside combat but also inside combat. But Melissa wasn't alone in supporting the McCall Pack, they had support in the form of Alan, Chris, Noah and even Rafael from a recent talk with him, they really weren't alone.

Break

Sometimes nothing's ever as loud as silence, Stefan Salvatore knew that very well because though the house was quiet it sure had a lot to say. He found himself reminiscing about the past, memories long past that the house witnessed but could never relive. Having been practically made a human Stefan could not help but reflect upon his human days, the human days he spent in the very house he was in. He thought of his late father Giuseppe, he thought of his late mother Lillian, he thought of his late older brother Damon and he thought of the girl who caught his eye and forever challenged everything Katherine.

The last person, Katherine, was the only person who was still alive, well undead, that knew the Salvatore as a human and he couldn't stand her. She was the only link he had to his past... No, she wasn't. There was Sara Nelson who was born a Salvatore and Zack's daughter whom Stefan saved after Damon killed her mother while she was pregnant with her and put her up for adoption for her own safety. He has kept an eye on Sara since her birth and was glad that she had a chance to live a happy human life which was why he kept her a secret and she was going to remain a secret.

With that last thought about his only living relative Stefan's mind turned to Katherine Pierce, the girl who left his older brother to die from a werewolf bite. He wondered if she would show her face around again and what he would do if that happened. That thought came to a halt as the over a century old boy remembered that no matter how much blood he drank he was powerless and he wouldn't be able to do much, something that didn't sit well with him. 

Needing to unload his thoughts the Salvatore got his diary out and began writing, his decades old coping mechanism. He really wished Lexi was around right about now, he truly missed her.

Brea

Later that night Scott arrived home to find Malia fast asleep on his bed with a few books beside her and took a moment to take in the sight from the door, watched as the werecoyote slept comfortably on said bed as though it were her own. He didn't know how and when they arrived at this stage but as time went by that didn't seem to matter, it was all becoming natural, too natural at times.

The True Alpha shook his head at that thought before entering his bedroom and put his backpack on the chair beside the Alphette's but not before putting her books into her backpack. With that done he got her into bed and since her shoes were already off he only had to take off her jacket then proceeded to take a shower.

Break

Not having a pack was a big disadvantage, Tyler realized after meeting and spending time with Liam and Scott but more than that his curiosity about werewolves and himself was at an all time high which was why he was currently searching everyplace he thought his father might have left something concerning their family secret. It didn't seem like his mother knew so the boy didn't mention anything to her and he ended up finding something that looked like it would have the information he sought, a box that was taped shut.

The werewolf moved to his bedroom to check on the contents of the box only to discover that the box didn't have anything to do with his late father but his mother. Inside there were pictures and other items but what had his attention were the pictures, the were pictures of two younger versions of his mother in individual pictures, indicating a twin. Apart from that there were pictures of his mother or the twin with a guy their age and one of only the guy.

Tyler didn't know what to make of the contents of the box, not when it seemed like his mother had a twin but since he didn't know her or of her existence before he assumed that she died. But the revelation of the box just made him realize that he knew very little about his maternal family and though the same could be said for his paternal family after discovering their family secret just recently, he didn't even know he had a maternal aunt.

The Lockwood wondered just how much he didn't know about his family.

Break

After shower Scott went downstairs to eat and not even a quarter done his mother joined him.

"I'm so proud of you." Said Melissa, giving her son a tight hug from behind before getting herself a glass of juice and joined him on the table.

"Deaton told you, didn't he?" Asked a smiling tribrid.

"Damn right he did! He even sent me an email of your findings including the picture of the hexagon. I didn't know you could do that."

"I can do a lot of things, mom. I'm a vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid." Boasted the boy.

"Don't get cocky, I didn't raise you to be cocky." Reprimanded the older McCall.

"Mom, I think I'm allowed to be a little cocky right now." Defended Scott.

"Maybe a tiny bit but don't let it go to your head. What's your goal with all this anyway?" Asked the woman.

"All this?"

"You know, the GS research."

"I'm not sure yet, why?" Answered the True Alpha, before he inquired.

"It has a lot of potential and seeing that you even created a spell to decode the GS's mysteries I figured you would have something in mind." Replied Melissa, a little disappointed that there wasn't any specific direction to her son's motivation for the research.

"Do you know what a panacea is, mom?" Scott inquired in return, after taking a moment to take a few bites of his food.

"I'm a nurse, Scott. A panacea is a remedy believed to cure all disease and prolong life." Was the woman's response, wonder where the boy was going with his question. "What does... Wha-Oh...!"

With the nurse's realization her glass of juice slipped from her hands due to shock, but luckily the True Alpha reacted quickly and caught it before it hit the floor.

"It... How... You..." Melissa tried to understand what her son just illuminated but that seemed impossible.

"I don't know." Replied the Tribrid, placing the glass of juice on the table before returning to his food. "The Dread Doctors somehow successfully created a panacea that is powerful enough to not only prolong life but also resurrect people and used the Alpha Soldier as some sort of carrier to continually reproduce more of it."

"Wow. I can't believe an actual panacea exists and I've been using it. How did you...?"

"Mason. He said something about my blood being the closest thing to a wonder drug and it just clicked." Scott answered his surprised mother's question.

The human was amazed by the revelation that has been right before her eyes but as exciting as that was she couldn't help the worry that began to form. The GS could bring her son a lot more enemies and she told him as much.

"I know but we don't have to worry about that right now. The research is a secret that only a few people know about and even fewer who know the true power of the GS, you and I, and we will keep it that way." The Tribrid responded.

"Let's hope it stays a secret." Said Melissa, before she got up to return to her bedroom. "Well, good night and clean that plate when you're done."

"Good night, mom." Returned the boy who quickly finished his food, cleaned the place and super ran to his bedroom.

Upon reaching his bedroom Scott took a sip of blood from his pocket flask before he joined Malia on the bed, tired from the days activities. He took in a deep breath to help him calm down from the blood but in the process took in the she-coyote's scent which helped calm his mind before he exhaled slowly.

"When did you get home?" The Alphette suddenly asked, startling the McCall.

"Malia!" He whispered.

"What? You're the one who woke me up with the scent of blood." She retorted while getting out of bed and went to the bedroom, leaving the boy to sigh in defeat. "Did you get what you wanted from Peter?"

"Yeah, and some more. It turns out he was locked in with Doctor Valack for a time and..." The True Alpha shared what he learned with the Tate while she used the bathroom.

"I'm not getting experimented on." Was the girl's response afterwards, ignoring Scott's suggestion about the possibilities of Peter developing some paternal instincts as she returned from the bathroom.

Malia wasn't going to entertain the thought of the man suddenly developing paternal instincts towards her, not at all. She didn't miss the fact that her fellow alpha still was optimistic 

"No, you're not." Agreed the McCall, a moment before he heard a bit of ruffling and knew that the Alphette was about to change clothes.

Sure enough the werecoyote took off her top, bra and shorts, leaving her panty and socks on before raiding the boy's closet for a comfortable shirt to sleep in.

"You know, you could bring some of your pajamas here." Said Scott, having already said as much before.

"I know, but I like wearing your shirts." Responded the Tate. "You do too."

"I didn't say that!" Was the Tribrid's quick reply.

"You don't have to. I know that you do." Said Malia, before returning to bed after changing. "How do you know this organization in the vision is Kingmaker?"

Grateful for the change in topic the McCall got his phone out and played the recording he took his of Peter after they sat up.

"Deus Qui Fecit • Regem Factorem •"

"Deus Qui Fecit translates to God Who Made in English and Regem Factorem to King Maker. I think the translation of the whole thing is something along the lines of The God Who Made King. The slogan matches that of Kingmaker Land Development along with it being written around a crown in a circle and it's head office is in New Orleans where Peter said their main research base is." Answered Scott.

"Well I'm not going anywhere near New Orleans" Declared Malia, a challenge in her eyes.

"Don't worry about that, I've already got a team in mind." Replied the True Alpha, deflating the challenge in her eyes.

"Good-Wait, you're taking the bait?"

"Yeah. Not right now, obviously, after graduation. But one way or another your additional abilities and status as the first alpha werecoyote are going to be known, my hybrid status as well, and people like the chimera we first met will set their sights on us." Began Scott, and mentally sent an apology to Belasko. "And since we're about to graduate and some of us are going to leave Beacon Hills..."

"We will be more vulnerable to attacks." Completed Malia. "You want to taking out Lucien and his company to send a message, don't you?"

The girl was impressed, the boy was much more aggressive now than he was before and she couldn't help but recall the first time she heard his alpha roar-howl, the very one that forced her coyote side to submit and give way to her human side. The last sight she remembered as a coyote was the dangerous red eyes that stared her down and demanded only one thing, submission.

The Tate now knew that the True Alpha was most dangerous when he was protective, proven by his response to Peter throwing a table at Liam during her father's failed coup, forcibly mind melding with Corey in a desperate act to find Hayden and Liam and killing the Beast of Gevaudan and Corrine, his decision to take out Lucien Castle and Kingmaker 'Land Development' reeked of protection.

"And save the people who are being experimented on." Added the McCall.

"Fine." Said an annoyed and resigned Malia. "I'll join the team. Who else are on the team?"

She knew that if she was one of those being experimented on she would have liked to be rescued and she wanted to make sure the True Alpha didn't get himself caught and experimented on.

"Malia..."

"I know I don't have to but someone has to make sure you don't mess up." She interrupted him, eyes locked to make sure he understood and she was rewarded with a small smile.

"I think Jordan, Hayden and Corey,I'll see if Argent is available to help us with scouting. Hayden and Corey could use the experience and they are the best duo for a stealth mission." Replied Scott.

"Plus Corey can handle mountain ash." Noted Malia, before something else came to mind. "What about the other 'research bases'? If we attack the main one in New Orleans and kill Lucien there might be someone who takes over from him."

When the boy fell on his back on the bed with a groan the Tate concluded that he hadn't thought about that and indeed he hadn't. With everything else in his mind he missed that detail.

"You could ask Braeden and Derek to help and they can take Lydia, Liam and Mason. Five-five. Satomi still owes us for saving her Pack so they could help too. Then there's that old lady and her hunter family in Mexico." She provided solutions.

"I don't have the kind of money required to hire Braeden and Derek left Beacon Hills for a reason. Liam said Satomi hasn't recruited since the Dead Pool, according to Brett, if she's not interested in recruiting I doubt she's interested in losing her remaining pack members. And I'd rather not have hunters gain access to whatever these bases have and supernaturals." Was the True Alpha's response.

"When did you become a pessimist?" Questioned Malia, eyes narrowed.

"I'm n... Alright. I'll ask Derek." Scott gave in, getting an approving noise from his counterpart.

"Good, I'll see if I can get Braeden to help." Said the werecoyote, and though there was still the vision in her mind she wasn't going to let he pack handle another problem without her.

As the teenagers went to sleep with Scott facing up, eyes closed, and Malia on her side facing him the girl couldn't help but playback the conversation she overheard between the boy in bed with her and Melissa. One thing that stood out was the True Alpha's status as tribrid, somehow he was a vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid.

Something about the fact that he didn't tell her didn't sit well with the Tate, it meant he was hiding a part of himself from her and she didn't like that at all, especially when Jordan seemed to know considering his comment about magic.

Malia thought about confronting Scott about it but decided to wait and see if he would tell her.

Break

While Malia and Scott fell asleep as soon as they were settled Matt found it hard to. In the silence of the house he grew up in everything became too much and the boy could not help but break down and cry. He was tired of being strong, he was tired of everything that he's been through and he was tired of Mystic Falls and everything supernatural, he was just so tired and no one seemed to notice.

The human had considered leaving town to start afresh somewhere else on a few occasions and each time he was closer to leaving than the last. Maybe his supernatural friends didn't realize it because he was a good actor but the Donovan truly doubted it, maybe he just wasn't important enough. Matt knew he wasn't important enough for his father to not abandon them, for his sister to give up drugs or his mother to stay so maybe he just wasn't important enough for his friends to notice.

It were thoughts like these that led the boy to more extreme thoughts but he wasn't going to give in to them, he couldn't. His mother gave in to alcohol and never gave out on it and his sister to drugs and never gave out on them too, the human wasn't going to let another Donovan give in, he wasn't. But that left him with two options; endure the pain and stress that came with living in Mystic Falls or leave Mystic Falls for a new start, preferably without supernatural elements to deal with.

Break

Apart from Matt being sleepless there was someone else who was just like him, but instead of breaking down and crying he was busy painting and his painting reflected his dark mood.

"Still worked up I see." Came Rebekah's comment as she entered the room.

"Not now, Rebekah." Was Klaus' sore response.

"Someone is in a bad mood. Maybe you should cut this search for a new family short, who knows what the next four will be like? I mean..."

"Not now, Rebekah!" Interrupted the moody hybrid, pausing his work to give the younger Mikaelson a look. 

His eyes reflexively shifted in warning, taking their yellow colour, startling his sister although not for long.

"That's a new look." Said Rebekah, before tilting her head to the side in mock thought. "It really brings out the beast in you."

The original vampire then left the room and just a moment after turning a corner and getting out her half brother's sight a tear fell down her cheek before she quickly removed it then sped out of the house. She truly hated the person her brother turned out to be over the centuries and missed who he was before their parents made them monsters.

Klaus was left all alone once again but he wasn't in the mood to paint anymore. No, he wasn't left alone, he was left with Kimberly's words on repeat. It seemed like Esther and Mikael didn't just lock away his werewolf side, they also prevented him from knowing who he was as a werewolf and as a hybrid. A thousand years of living as a vampire didn't win him any favors with werewolves, made worse by him contributing to decreasing their numbers but that was because of jealousy.

The Original Hybrid was jealous of them being able to turn and enjoy being wolves once a month, something he previously got to enjoy only once, just once before Elijah helped Esther and Mikael curse him to never enjoy the freedom that came with a wolf. Oh the freedom that came after the painful transition was something else, but since he couldn't feel it anymore he resented those that could and began to see werewolves as nothing more than animals that were inferior to him.

That mindset definitely contributed to him lacking when it came to werewolf legends, myths and knowledge but he couldn't help but see the initial trio who bound and cursed him as the responsible parties for Kimberly's disrespect and words. And maybe the father he didn't know too. What kind of father let's another man raise his child, his own son? It pissed off Klaus to no end but since Kimberly was the one to question him he was also angry at her, if she wasn't his very first hybrid he would have killed her the moment she showed defiance.

At least that's what the man liked to think, he didn't want to acknowledge that her bravery and courage to say all that she said to his face even as he literally had her life in his hands and her offer to help him catch up to a thousand years of werewolf knowledge deficiency and be a true hybrid in every sense of the word was what really stayed his hand.

But most of all the Original Hybrid didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he wished that he had the same bravery and courage to stand up to Mikael before and after knowing his bastard status and when his barbarian of a stepfather attacked the home that he built, New Orleans, a couple of decades ago, the same bravery and courage Rebekah possessed.

That half sister of his could do just about anything for those she loved, even attempt to kill her own father, that was how deep Rebekah Mikaelson loved and Klaus wasn't willing to share that love. He has, would and will kill any man who dared steal that love from him, even his only true friend Stefan Salvatore. Finn, Elijah and Kol were enough and family. 

At those thoughts a muse appeared in the form of a deader than dead Mikael burning at his feet just as he once burned New Orleans and his late adoptive son and protege Marcellus "Marcel" Gerard, and Klaus placed aside the canvas he had been working on and began to paint on a new canvas a new picture though the overall theme was still the same; dark.

Break

Elsewhere Raven3 had a mission to carry out. He had to wait for Scott to be done with the item he was carrying but in that time the bird searched for the information he needed and was glad the restaurant manager and security personnel were nice enough to provide him with what he needed, the Internet cafe customer too.

Since the raven has been flying for sometime now he decided to take a break and get something to eat, and not a moment later caught the scent of a recent kill and followed it. He didn't have a problem with waiting for the predators to have their fill, they were actually doing him a favor so he rested on a tree branch while waiting for his turn and marvelled at the True Alpha's ingenious plan although it would be rather lengthy.

Scott McCall truly was a dangerous foe, especially when you underestimated him and Neo Mokoena was going to find out. As young as he was he knew how to lead and make use of his resources, Belasko truly admired the Alpha of the Most Unconventional and Unique Pack in Existence, flaws and all, though as the tribrid's familiar it was his duty to correct them for the alpha and pack, and cover them from enemies.

(End of Chapter 14)

Scott McCall, the Mikaelson   
Chapter 15

"Ah, it feels great to be king." Said a grinning Lucien Castle, a moment after a young woman left his office at Kingmaker Land Development Inc.'s head office while fixing her dress and wiping a bit of blood from her lips. 

He really enjoyed his life as a vampire, the first and oldest non-original vampire in the world which made him the strongest non-original vampire in the world. The very thought heightened his mood even further.

Lucien remembered where he came from so clearly, from a lowly servant of Count de Martel and being compelled to live as Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson, a compulsion which thankfully broke a century later, a century was better than forever, to being the CEO of his very own company Kingmaker Land Development and King of New Orleans.

"Co-King, Lucien. Co-King of New Orleans." Said a man's voice followed by its owner entering Lucien's office with a smile on his face. "Is old age catching up, fellow Co-King?"

Scott McCall, the Mikaelson


	17. Chapter 17

"Ah, it feels great to be king." Said a grinning Lucien Castle, a moment after a young woman left his office at Kingmaker Land Development Inc.'s head office while fixing her dress and wiping a bit of blood from her lips.

He really enjoyed his life as a vampire, the first and oldest non-original vampire in the world which made him the strongest non-original vampire in the world. The very thought heightened his mood even further.

Lucien remembered where he came from so clearly, from a lowly servant of Count de Martel and being compelled to live as Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson, a compulsion which thankfully broke a century later, a century was better than forever, to being the CEO of his very own company Kingmaker Land Development and King of New Orleans.

"Co-King, Lucien. Co-King of New Orleans." Said a man's voice followed by its owner appearing at Lucien's office door with a smile on his face. "Is old age catching up, fellow Co-King?"

"You just had to ruin my good mood, didn't you?" Asked the ancient vampire, coming back to Earth. "Just so you know, with age comes power."

"True, but I'm not here for a social visit." Said the other Co-King of New Orleans ago also happened to be a vampire, his smile being replaced by a more serious look as he entered the office. "Two of my men have gone missing, do you know anything about that?"

"Not at all, partner. I've been quite busy this week buying more land." Replied Lucien, standing up from his office chair but not before making sure his pants were secured. "I thought you had informants all around the city to keep you informed and by proxy keep me informed."

The visiting vampire searched for signs of deception on the Castle but found none.

"We both know you have informants of your own." He countered, getting a grin from the CEO.

"And that, Marcel, is why we're still kings of this city. Don't worry, I'll tell you if I hear anything." Reassured the ancient vampire, walking over to a model to the side of his office.

Marcellus "Marcel" Gerard, the thought to be dead adopted son and protege of Niklaus Mikaelson thanked the older vampire before he excused himself. He had a meeting to get to but as he left he thought back to the day he first met Lucien Castle, the Kingmaker, the man who helped him step out of Klaus' shadow and control and become king, well Co-King of New Orleans.

When Marcel first chose being a vampire over his then love interest Rebekah Mikaelson his goal was to officially become the Prince of New Orleans and make his father Niklaus proud, and he did but at the cost of turning his back on his first love, his adoptive aunt. Klaus wasn't supportive of the relationship and the man knew that if he had been someone else he would have died but just like the Original Hybrid used to tell him, love was a weakness which turned out to be true.

As time went by the Prince desired to be King but for that to happen the King needed to die, the Prince didn't have the guts to kill his adoptive father nor hurt Rebekah in that way, it didn't help that the King couldn't be killed. Marcel left to join the fight in World War I and when he returned he reunited with his adoptive family and most of all his first love but the desire to be king was still there, maybe stronger than ever as he was tired of Klaus controlling his life and living in the man's shadow.

Still, trying to take out the Original Hybrid was suicide, even for family and Kol Mikaelson learned that the dagger fashioned way when he tried to create a weapon to take out his half brother. At the end of the day Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson always stood by Niklaus Mikaelson and that was why though Marcel got back with Rebekah upon his return, secretly of course, he didn't tell her when an enemy of her half brother and family came to him with an offer. Yes, he loved her but he wasn't stupid.

The enemy was Lucien Castle of Kingmaker Land Development and he offered the Prince Co-Kingship if he worked with him to get Mikael, the Original Vampire vampire hunter who hunted Lucien for sometime while he was compelled to be Klaus, to New Orleans to get rid of Klaus so they could ascend to kingship. They only needed a witch and since the Gerard knew one who had a crush on his adoptive father by the name Genevieve he approached her.

The vampire lied to her by saying that he wanted to reunite Klaus with an old friend of his since the man talked about him but didn't know where the old friend was, Genevieve believed him as there was no reason he would lie, or so she thought, and unknowingly sent Klaus' nightmare an invitation to New Orleans. To get rid of evidence Marcel killed Genevieve and when Mikael arrived in New Orleans Lucien and Marcel made a deal with him.

The end results of the deal, though the man went overboard, had the Original Vampire burning the home the Mikaelson siblings built and destroying anyone, anything and everything that stood in his way to Klaus but when it was obvious that Elijah, Klaus and Rebekah were out of reach Mikael unlisted Marcel to give the running siblings something to remember just how close he was to killing Klaus by.

The trio of siblings watched even as they ran as the boy they raised and loved burned with Mikael standing behind him, face that of the monster that filled the then cursed Original Hybrid's nightmares. Mikael's goal with that was to leave the bastard that let him kill his wife and his mother with another psychological scar as a preview of what was to come and if the boy had the guts to return to New Orleans to find his adopted son and protege undead and well, ruling what was once his, hence the man didn't kill Marcel.

Marcel knew that he did not only betray Klaus but also Rebekah as she too was forced to flee but as he walked around the streets of the French Quarter he knew what he did was right for him. And she's too betrayed him by leaving him behind. She was never going to choose him over Klaus and Klaus was never going to allow them to be together, even dating secretly was pushing it so he did what he had to do. He was no longer a little warrior but a king.

The Gerard came back to the present when he neared the church where the meeting was taking place, St. Anne's Church. He knew Thierry Vanchure and Diego, his right and left hand respectively, were watching his back so he entered the building to meet with the leaders of the two other species, humans and witches, but still below him and Lucien.

"How great of you to finally grace us with your presence." Said an unamused Josephine LaRue, the Regent of the New Orleans Witch Community.

"I'd like to say it's my pleasure but two of my men are missing and I've been trying to find out what happened to them." Came Marcel's reply as he sat at a round table with three chairs.

There used to be four of them but after the vampire had the werewolf faction cursed a while ago they removed their chair from the table.

"They wouldn't be your priority if you knew what is coming." That certainly gained the co-leader of the New Orleans Vampire Community and Co-King of New Orleans' attention really quickly.

"What is coming, Josephine?" Asked Priest Kieran, leader of the New Orleans Human Community. "You've been restless since your arrival."

"I don't know but something is coming." Answered the Regent, and in all the years they have been working together both men could attest that they have never seen her so troubled before. "It's like a great storm of blood, fire, lightning and thunder with the wind howling and snarling in every direction and anyone who stands in its path will be destroyed."

Kieran and Marcel shared a look, wondering what was coming exactly. There was a tone of foreboding in the woman's voice made worse by her description.

Break

While they contemplated Josephine's warning and continue their meeting the two vampires that went missing were in a situation of their own. They were tightly tied to an electric fence, side by side with visible burns and a man sitting a few feet in front of them. On both sides of the man sat two twenty litres of vervained water.

"Are you going to talk or should I continue?" Asked the man, a human.

"Who do you think you are?" Was Vampire1's response, sneering at the human. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with?"

"Considering you attacked me last night and your situation right now, it looks like you don't have any idea who you messed with." Replied the man, standing up. "See, I've been doing this for a long time and I've learned a lot about your kind, like how the sun isn't your friend and..."

"Do your worst, human, while you still have the chance." Said Vampire2, a smug look on his face. "Marcel will find us soon enough and I'll enjoy taking part in your interrogation before delivering you to Lucien myself."

Judging by the side look Vampire1 gave Vampire2, it seemed like the vampire realized that his fellow vampire just gave their interrogator motivation and a target to focus on to gain information and effectively sped up their demise while shortening the chances of Marcel finding them in time. Before Vampire1 could warn the weak link from revealing more information the human acted quickly and increased the current running through the electric fence and by proxy them.

The vampires screamed and thrashed at the sudden increase in agony before the man lowered it then taped Vampire1's mouth and focused on Vampire2.

"You were saying?" Inquired the human, pleased to have found the weak link.

He was no longer into the business of such work but a lot was at stake and his daughter's code still lived in him. Not long after that the human made a phone call, having acquired what he needed before Vampire2 passed out and he gave both vampire's a dose of vervain to make sure they were out so that he could make the phone call and rest.

"Scott, I've found the location of the main research base." He said in greeting.

"Really? Where is it?" Responded Scott McCall, glad that Chris Argent, the human man who just called him, was available and agreed to help.

Break

Just as Lucien was about to leave his office for the day one of the in-house lawyers approached him with a few papers to sign, she just so happened to be one of his least favorite but was great at her work so the ancient vampire just signed the papers without reading them and left, having done so in the past. The lawyer, Eve, went about her way afterwards, returning to her office to make copies of the signed documents.

What Lucien failed to notice was that Eve's eyes weren't her own, they were that of a raven, a sign of that the woman was possessed by a supernatural raven by the name Raven1. After Malia made Scott aware that someone else could continue Lucien Castle's legacy if they successfully take him out he gave Raven1 a mission to make sure that didn't happen and there was only one way to ensure that. 

After conversing with Braeden who wouldn't be able to help them in the attack but gave them a few suggestions, a solution was before them. The only way to ensure no one continued Lucien's legacy was to buy his business and properties but though Derek and Malia had the kind of money to buy all that and they didn't have a problem with investing it the ancient vampire wasn't likely to sell and even if he did he wouldn't sell all his properties, especially the research bases so...

Belasko proposed he infiltrate Kingmaker Land Development and get Lucien to unknowingly sell everything he owned but there was a problem with that, where there was money there was a chance to rebuild. The solution to that was the Castle to sell everything at a rather ridiculous price, far below that which they were really worth and Raven1's mission was to see to it that happened.

So far Scott McCall owned seventy five percent of Kingmaker Land Development and Lucien's properties, all with less than a hundred units paid. Actually, with the papers the CEO of Kingmaker Land Development just signed it was no longer seventy five percent but eighty five percent.

After Raven1 completes his current mission his next one was to help Chris Argent scout the city but that would take a few weeks and so far it has been a month and a half since he began and Lydia, Malia and Scott where writing their final exams. A few more ravens were also sent out to scout and provide Scott with information that he passed to Derek who agreed to help and the others. They only knew of two research bases right now though they suspected there might be more.

Belasko believed there might only be a few research bases and more holding bases so the ravens were also looking for them in the areas around branches of Kingmaker Land Development. But all this wasn't without cost. The True Alpha had to confess to being able to communicate with the ravens and being a vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid to his pack, on top of that he had to involve his stepfather Rafael McCall and the authorities.

The Pack had to acknowledge that they wouldn't be able to save everyone on their own and since Scott was the one 'buying' Kingmaker Land Development and Lucien's private properties he had to report some 'suspicious' activities he noticed. Lydia was actually the one who came up with the idea to report some of what they knew to the authorities through the True Alpha.

It was not only to get them help with reuniting the people who were hunted, kidnapped and experimented on with their families and cover more bases but to also make sure he didn't get implicated in the aftermath and secure the image of Kingmaker Land Development Inc. for himself since the boy didn't want to get anyone's name on the doted line in fear of Lucien's partners retaliating and getting implicated with his illegal activities.

The McCall's argument was that he was immortal and could spend a few years of his life behind bars. The others weren't happy with him keeping the secrets he kept but they understood and combined with him willing to sacrifice himself, his life for them they forgave him, even though Hayden, Malia, Lydia and Jordan already knew his tribrid status with only Mason, Liam and Corey not knowing.

They all were impressed with Hayden who was there when Doctor Deaton told Scott that he was a vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid as she kept the secret without even arousing suspicion, she had everyone's respect, even Liam who couldn't believe that his girlfriend kept such a big thing quiet. He knew if he, Mason or Corey had to do what she did they wouldn't succeed, Scott being a vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid was a huge thing after all.

After making and filling the copies and keeping the originals Raven1 released his possession over Eve and took the original copies to a safe location before he decided to take a break and just see what the city had to offer. 

Break

Elsewhere Niklaus Mikaelson looked on proudly as his pack prepared to leave for Mystic Falls. Not just Kimberly and Daniel but also Mindy, Tony, Harley Marshall and Nate Yokushi, the last four. Things between him and Kimberly were still a little sore but at the end of the day the man did want to know who he was and reach his full potential so he accepted her offer to teach him Werewolf 101 and advanced.

It turned out she was the daughter of an alpha whose pack was attacked and killed not long before he found her, including said alpha but not before he made sure that she got away. As a result of being the alpha's daughter Kimberly knew a lot of werewolf legends and myths and she occasionally passed on a story at a time to Klaus and the pack and when she did they all sat together around a bonfire and even Rebekah joined them every now and then.

Werewolves were social people by nature and that setting was one that helped them bond and grow as a pack which was the girl's goal. She made sure the Original Hybrid knew that for the pack to respect and be loyal to him he needed to connect with them, allow them to get close and get close to them in return but maintain his status so as not to appear weak and too soft to be taken seriously.

To connect with who he was Klaus had to transform and spend a few hours a day as a wolf with the pack and alone, preferably in the woods and with the pack fifty percent of the time to allow his wolf instincts to kick in, bond with them and learn to speak to and lead them without words. There was more to the lessons like how to hunt as a wolf, which spots to target on a prey with varying sizes and shapes and werewolf customs.

Another thing was diplomacy. Yes, Klaus Mikaelson was an alpha, a vampire hybrid too, but he was the alpha only to his pack, not everyone and needed to mind himself lest he incite a war with the wrong pack. The general rule was that everyone respected an alpha, both traditional and evolved werewolves, even the alphas themselves respected other alphas, they treated other alphas as they would like to be treated and that was because of three things; hierarchy, politics and power. 

Werewolf hierarchy and politics, regardless of being original or evolved, were far more active and competitive than of any other species as an alpha today could be a beta or an omega tomorrow and vice versa, and alive today could be dead tomorrow. That's why when one pack meets another or individuals there was caution and diplomacy came into play although not all were diplomatic and some wanted dominion over others or their territory and that's were alliances came in.

Alliances between packs were common, usually temporarily formed to face a common enemy between packs who live in the same area though others had long standing alliances but ultimately this was where being an alpha of a pack was put to the test. Being an alpha was more than just about being in charge and having betas and omegas to follow your every demand, and here Kimberly had looked her alpha in the eye.

Being alpha wasn't about doing what was best for you but for the pack, for betas and omegas gave an alpha their respect, loyalty and devotion in exchange for him or her to do what was best for them, for the pack. Yes, packs differed at what kept them together and functioning but they weren't that different when it came to their alphas, that's why when betas and omegas are unsatisfied with their alphas they either challenged them or left the pack. 

The Original Hybrid realized what Kimberly was telling him after she told him that. No one would follow him if he was an incompetent and unworthy alpha, not even the hybrids he gave power only he could give. That had been a troubling thought, it made him see that the bonding exercises the girl advised him to do with the pack were to pull everyone together, unite them, move them from being strangers to pack.

There were advantages and disadvantages to that. If one dared think Klaus incompetent he or she could easily influence the others especially if he's not close to them or his bond with them is weak and as one they could challenge him, and die as one for even daring such an act, or leave, and die for abandoning their maker when he finds them. There was just one mystery, why did Kimberly not take advantage and steal the pack for herself and avenge her former pack?

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Said Rebekah, catching her half brother staring intensely at Kimberly who was conversing with her pack mates.

"Come now, Rebekah. I thought you would be happy that you're going to see Stefan soon." Replied Klaus, focusing on the Mikaelson beside him.

"Oh, I am. But there's something you're not telling and I have a feeling I don't like it, dear brother." Was the ancient girl's response, before she looked at said brother's pack then back at him as she continued. "Tell me what it is before we leave or you won't like the first thing I'll do when I find out another way."

The Original Hybrid heard the implication and threat loud and clear. Like him, Rebekah reacted badly when she was wronged, the kick between his legs was proof of that so there was only one thing to do. He was going to tell her anyway but...

"How about we take a walk? It's a beautiful day and our last day here. I'll tell you while we walk." Proposed the man, offering his arm for his younger sister to link arms with him.

Pleased with getting her way the girl linked arms his her older brother and they began their walk even as she knew that he was only getting her away from his hybrid pack.

"I'm sorry for daggering you." Began Niklaus when they were out of earshot, earning himself a surprised and cautious look. "When you chose Stefan over me, over your own life I couldn't take it. We've lived in this world for over a millennium, Rebekah, death is inconceivable to us! I've lost count of how many people have tried to kills us and failed miserably but there's one man who can kill us and that man was coming for you and I, did you really think I would let you throw your life away for some boy?

Sure, I liked him and he became a good friend of mine but he was not, he is not and he will never be worth giving your life for and that's exactly what you would have done!"

At that Rebekah withdrew her arm and pushed the hybrid away but he interrupted her before she could speak.

"No, I didn't kill Stefan, I just compelled him to forget about us to ensure he didn't lead Mikael our way or get himself killed." Said the Original Hybrid, and watched as she took that in.

"You compelled Stefan to forget about us, forget about me?" The girl inquired, voice a whisper and tears threatening to fall.

There was something about being forgotten that she didn't like and it really got to her.

"I saved his life, Rebekah! You know Mikael would have killed him just as he did Marcellus if he found out Stefan knew us. Would you rather I have left him with all his memories intact and have that barbarian hold him hostage until such a time that he kills him right before our eyes right after using him as bait for us?!" Defended Klaus, and he knew she detected the you in us when she recoiled a little but that could be because of the image he painted.

It was actually his shouting on top of the image. He was probably not aware just how similar he was to her father and his stepfather Mikael in that moment, just as he was nine centuries ago after the Brotherhood of the Five almost put them all down after one of them played her. Rebekah knew how long ago because that was how long Finn has been technically dead.

"You could have let me live my life and make my own choices, Nik! You could have let him leave with us! You could have let me leave Chicago with Stefan and be with him until Mikael caught up and killed me! I'm tired of running everytime Mikael appears. I'm tired of him ruining things for us. And I'm tired of this life." Said Rebekah, tears falling down her cheeks but she didn't mind them, they showed how she left and she wasn't done.

"You might be satisfied with this life and not finding love but I'm not. I want a normal life, Nik. I want a simple life and to be a normal girl for once, maybe attend school and have friends. Friends... Do you know how long it has been since I've had even a single real friend? I don't even remember because everytime I think I have a friend you either kill them, turn them against me or they use me to get close to you. You, Elijah and Kol.

And everytime I find love you take that away too in some way or another. You're happy right now, Nik. You broke the curse, you're whole for the first time in a thousand years, you not only have the ability to make more of your kind you have a whole pack of them and you are even learning about yourself. Everything is going your way, but what about me?! The man I love doesn't have a single memory of me, of our time together.

There's a chance he's moved on with..." Rebekah abruptly stopped her monologue when she saw something in Niklaus' eyes, something that told her, that confirmed her worst fears since he undaggered and kind of updated her on Stefan.

"Stefan has moved on with his life, hasn't he?" She asked, even as she knew she didn't want to hear the answer to that question.

So much for a great plan, thought the Original Hybrid, closing his eyes with a sigh. He blamed Kimberly for her 'speak without words' and 'speak through body language and facial expressions' nonsense and the Original Vampire before him for knowing the right buttons to press and being too vigilant.

Break

Love was a strange thing, it could build or destroy depending on the circumstances. In this case it was the one thing that kept Stefan Salvatore from giving in no matter how much Greta tried. He loved Elena Gilbert so much that he held back becoming the Ripper. Yes, he was a powerless vampire and pretty much just a human who drank blood but everyone knew just how monstrous humans could be.

Stefan was sure he could still be a ripper even without his vampire powers, all it took was creativity and his uncontrollable thirst for blood but there was one girl who kept him... Anchored, Elena. He was losing himself little by little until Tyler Lockwood, his older brother's killer, came to the rescue. The werewolf was the one who introduced the Salvatore to the concept of an anchor, something he picked up from Liam to control his anger issues.

It was the Lockwood's way of apologizing and it was a success. Everytime Stefan felt like he was losing control he thought of the girl who made his world spin, the one girl who held his heart to ground himself, to anchor himself so that he didn't drift away and drown himself in blood. Tyler told him about the dangers of using someone as an anchor, something that you used to be in control and maintain that control but Elena was it for the vampire.

Right now Stefan could better withstand the Martin's attempts to make him lose himself. He could better control his hunger, his eternal blood thirst better than he ever has now to the point that he was starting to see losing his powers as a blessing to some degree. It made him wonder how Damon would have handled that happening to him and how Katherine would if she lost all her vampire privileges for leaving his brother for dead.

Talking about Katherine, a few days after the Beacon Hills team left they found out that Klaus wasn't in town although his presence was still felt somewhat through Greta. She didn't say anything about his reasons for leaving but she did promise that he was going to bring Stefan a pleasant surprise. It made the vampire wonder if the hybrid found Katherine and was going to return with her.

But that wasn't important right now, giving his human girlfriend his full attention was and that's exactly what he did.

Break

After a long day at work Lucien could only think of one place to go to, Rousseau's, a bar in French Quarter and that's exactly where he went.

"Hey, Cami, do you smell that?" Inquired a young woman on the worker's side of the bar wearing chef's uniform.

"What?" Asked Camille "Cami" O'Connell, Priest Kieran's niece and a human, also a young woman and like the other one she too was on the worker's side, passing over a drink a customer just bought.

"You don't smell that? It smells like a rat just walked in." Answered the chef, scrunching her face and covering her nose in disgust.

"Haha. Very funny, Soph." Said Lucien, knowing she was referring to him.

"That's Miss Sophie Deveraux to you, desmodont." Responded Sophie who was also a witch although she wasn't that as dedicated to the craft as her coven would like, using desmodont as a reference to his vampire status.

"The usual?" Asked Camille in an effort to stop the two.

She didn't know what their deal was but Sophie didn't like Lucien, not one bit, especially when the man hit on her.

"Please. You should be more like Camille, Soph." Answered the vampire before he commented.

"Cami." The human corrected, in unison with the witch saying "Sophie.", before she poured his drink, not a fan of her first name.

The Deveraux excused herself a second later, heading to the kitchen and half a moment later Marcel entered the bar, still contemplating Josephine's warning, a warning she didn't usually give except if it also concerned her faction and telling him would ultimately benefit the witches.

Break

Elsewhere in New Orleans Raven1 caught a scent of a carcass blown his way while looking for something to eat and followed it to just outside the city to find a pack of wolves having their fill. The sight made him a little homesick even though there were still parts of him in Beacon Hills. Usually there would only be a coyote and a wolf with red glowing eyes feasting while he waited his turn, the Alphette and True Alpha.

The absence of those red eyes and the overcrowd feast had Raven1 link with the ravens left home, that was until something caught his eye. One of the wolves was staring at him unnaturally, with concentration and intelligence that didn't belong in the eyes of a wild animal. Something was not right with the sight before the supernatural bird, a sentiment shared with the she-wolf studying him.


	18. Chapter 18

Mary Dumas, the she-wolf studying Raven1, knew something was not right with the raven waiting for the leftover. She had just fed and about to make room for others and watch over them when it landed on the tree branch it was currently on it and gained her attention. What really gained her attention though was it's shadow suddenly enter her line of vision and though the shape was of a bird the woman still checked just to be sure.

One didn't live to be one of the oldest in the pack by being careless and leaving things to chance. The first thing that got Mary's attention after that was the bird's quietness, it was by far the most quiet bird she has ever encountered because the only reason she was able to detect it's presence was seeing it's shadow. The second was the size of its talons, they were bigger than any other she has seen but that was not enough to warrant suspicion.

With that in mind the she-wolf was about to take off her eyes from the raven until it suddenly looked at her when a moment before it seemed to settle down, appearing to have caught her staring. For a moment Mary locked eyes with the bird and for some reason had the feeling that it was studying her just as she was it, especially when it tilted it's head to the side. With three strikes already earned the Dumas growled while she approached the tree the strange bird was on.

She wasn't one for superstition but since she knew just how wily witches could be she wasn't about to risk her pack being spied on and moved to scare the raven away. Mary's growl put the pack on high alert and every wolf followed her line of sight to see a bird fly off, those who were older and more aware and knowledgeable identified the bird as a raven and wondered why she chased it a way. 

The alpha of the pack, Jackson Kenner, approached her with the intent to find out. The old she-wolf barked in a tone and sequence they had long perfected to indicate something suspicious and with that every wolf went back to what they were doing but they were all alert and on the lookout. Having eaten before anyone else Jackson began to cover the area with his scent to ward off any intruders before he took prime guard as alpha.

A little over twenty years ago werewolves and vampires of New Orleans were at war against each other and witches and humans in the know tried to stay out of it. The war was a result of alarming mysterious disappearances of werewolves which were more than suspected by the werewolves and secretly everyone to be caused by vampires, specifically Lucien Castle the Co-King of New Orleans.

Marcel Gerard stood by his Co-King and as a result there was no division amongst the Vampire Faction as they all supported Lucien, the fact that there fewer werewolves everyday was in their favor after all since a single werewolf bite was fatal to vampires. While there was no internal conflict in the Vampire Faction the same couldn't be said for the Werewolf Faction.

Alpha Labonair, the late alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack and leader of the New Orleans Werewolf Community told his faction that he intended to end the war and make peace with the Vampire Faction or at least call a truce and maybe form an alliance with them. A lot of the werewolves didn't take that well since their kin kept disappearing and they all knew the vampires were responsible and there was proof of that.

With Alpha Labonair not backing down, wanting his newborn daughter to grown up in a peaceful time, Richard Xavier Dumas, a veteran werewolf, took it upon himself to prevent the alpha from doing what was against the benefits of the New Orleans Werewolf Community. He knew Alpha Labonair's motive for ending the war was but he also he it was selfish of the man to sacrifice a whole community so that he could make peace with his vampire friend and raise his child in peace when his people kept disappearing.

They too had children to think about and some of those children were being taken and who knew what happened to them? Ah, the vampires, some of which the werewolves captured and tortured the information out of. The werewolves that kept disappearing were being kidnapped and experimented on by the Vampire Faction and Alpha Labonair wanted 'peace' with them so that he could raise his child in peace.

That showed just how incompetent and unworthy he was to think only about the short term and his family. There was a chance that that very child was going to be next to be kidnapped and experimented on by very people he wanted peace and an alliance with and whatever the vampires were experimenting on was obviously going to be a disadvantage for the werewolves, something they all made him aware of but no, he had faith in Marcel Gerard. 

Richard killed both Alpha and Alphette Labonair before they sacrificed the New Orleans Werewolf Community and left their child Andrea Labonair alive, she was but a child after all. Not long after that Marcel who had been in talks with Alpha Labonair about ending the war took the child to Priest Kieran O'Connell who put her up for adoption.

The next thing the New Orleans Werewolf Community knew was that the Crescent Wolf Pack had been cursed to have their nature reserved. Instead of shape-shifting into wolves during full moons and otherwise taking human form they were cursed to take wolf form indefinitely and only shape-shift to human form during full moons. That only meant the Witch Faction finally took a side and sided with the vampires.

For preservation the rest of the werewolf packs that made up New Orleans Werewolf Community left with the Crescent Wolf Pack to live out in their territory just outside New Orleans, the Bayou Lafourche Region or simply the Bayou where they were safer. If they stayed in the city they knew it was just a matter of time before they were either driven to extinction or cursed too.

Yes, they lost a lot including their power and influence in the city but they were still alive, they lived to fight another day which meant they still had a chance to regain what they lost. While the New Orleans Werewolf Community were getting used their new home the power vacuum they left behind was filed with more vampires until they took firm hold of New Orleans.

There was balance before but today the New Orleans Vampire Community was on top of the food chain and humans and witches were below while werewolves were next to nothing. Any werewolf that entered the city was either killed or kidnapped and experimented on. Vampires owned New Orleans and ruled it without werewolves there to keep the balance and the werewolves were sure the Human Faction and Witch Faction were regretting their past choices.

But werewolves were survivors and they never gave up. Their war with the vampires has not reached a conclusion and with each passing day they were getting stronger, they were regaining their power and they would reclaim what was theirs and make the vampires pay for their crimes. The Vampire Faction began the war with a cold war and when they got comfortable they forgot that they weren't the only ones who were capable of using underhanded tactics, their mistake.

They forgot the Crescent Wolf Pack had two royal families and while the Labonairs fell the Kenners remained. Well, a Kenner. He was the last royal left but Alpha Jackson Kenner promised himself that he would see that his community reclaimed what was theirs and thrive once again.

The army Lucien Castle and Marcellus Gerard amassed for themselves would crumble and the Witch Faction and Human Faction, especially the former, would pay for turning a blind eye and helping vampires ascend.

While Jackson contemplated Raven1 watched the Crescent Wolf Pack from afar, glad that he was not only a scavenger but also a bird of prey with keen eye sight enhanced by his supernatural status. He thought back to the feel he got from the she-wolf that chased him away and quickly realized that they were traditional werewolves, and considering their numbers it made sense since full wolf transforming for evolved werewolves was rare.

But traditional werewolves weren't supposed to be able to transform without the full moon so that left the question how they did it. By now the raven knew pretty much anything was possible so he didn't focus on the should be impossible part but on the how part and the only way to learn that was to wait and observe.

Break

Eve, the lawyer Raven1 possessed earlier noticed something puzzling while going through filed contracts that had their own personal space and storage since Lucien wanted his personal contracts separated from others. He used company lawyers for personal matters so his personal contracts were also stored at the head office though in their special space, making it easy for the woman to know where they all were.

She usually looked through the man's private contracts as often as she could but since she just returned from a four weak leave which succeeded a month at a different branch this was the first time getting such a chance in two months, it wasn't easy getting access to files she wasn't supposed to have access to in the first place. She skimmed through a few of the contracts and what she read blew her mind.

In the last month and a half Lucien Castle not only sold Kingmaker Land Development Inc. as a whole, he also sold a lot of his properties, properties that Eve had no idea he owned in the first place, to a Scott McCall for a ridiculous amount of money. Saying it was ridiculous was actually an understatement because the man practically gave everything to the 'buyer', he was not a giving person.

The woman discreetly made copies of the documents with Scott McCall in them before she left with questions building up, glad that she was already done for the day. Eve couldn't wait to thoroughly go through them and if the details were as juicy as they seemed report back to her alpha on the next full moon. The big mystery was why would Lucien Castle give away his possessions and in such a short period of time and who was this Scott McCall.

The untriggered werewolf of the Crescent Wolf Pack couldn't wait for the full moon to show Jackson her findings, they were the most interesting and informative findings in a while. It were times like these that working for the vampire bastard seemed worth it.

Break

In Beacon Hills Scott was once again at the hill that overlooked the town with the sun setting, a backpack at his side. He wondered what it felt like to be oblivious to the existence of supernaturals and live a normal life because after two and half years in the supernatural world he had forgotten how it felt like. He forgot what living like a human felt like because Peter Hale had a vendetta to carry out and the asthmatic boy he found alone in the woods had to help him.

The thought of the man brought the True Alpha to Raven3's findings. For a while now the raven has watched Neo Mokoena to gather intelligence on her before making the final move and in that time he's learned a lot. The woman was more than an attorney, she was very much involved in both the supernatural community and illegal human activities like human trafficking and she was good at it.

So good that Peter paid her a visit to get some information after his release. It turned out they were familiar with each other, so familiar that Neo was actually the one who introduced the werewolf to the mother of his daughter Corrine. The Hale went to her for information on Kingmaker Land Development after he connected the slogan from his vision to the company, something that gave the human pause.

Scott was cautious with releasing Peter so he had a raven follow him and between that raven and Raven3 they found out about the second research base which the Mokoena led the Hale to to lead him away from the main one. Derek, Lydia, Liam and Corey were going to attack that very base and enlist the former Beast Alpha's help while at it.

The other side Rafael McCall was trying him level best to get his division to get the go ahead to move on the locations his stepson gave him information on concerning Neo's illegal activities and get her arrested on top of searching a few suspicious properties which previously belonged to Lucien Castle and Scott reported to get investigated after gaining ownership.

A lot of movement was going to occur after graduation so the Tribrid was trying to prepare the pack but also give them room to breathe and live their lives. Everything was coming alright except one thing, Derek and each member of the McCall Pack would be carrying a vial of his blood in case they sustained injuries but they didn't have medical personnel to help the captives they were going to rescue.

They needed experienced medical personnel in both Scott and Derek's teams since they weren't about to let anyone outside the pack gain access to the True Alpha's blood which was one of the reasons the boy was currently at the hill, he was waiting on a few people to arrive and...

"May I know why you had me come out here, Scott?" A female voice asked in greeting, it's owner walking to the hill.

"You will, Miss Morrell. Let's just..."

"Whoa! We actually have a view like this here?" Another female's voice commented, interrupting the boy.

"You'd be surprised what these woods hold." Said a male's voice in response, approaching the druid and tribrid with the female. "Marin, Scott."

"Alan. So you're also in on this?" Replied Marin Morrell, the first female to join Scott.

"I think we're all in on this, whatever it is." Said the second female, Melissa McCall.

"It's a call for your help." Began the True Alpha, standing up and facing Marin, Melissa and Alan Deaton, the male. "You already know about the mission my pack and I will go on in less than two months since I've sought your advise and you've helped us prepare and plan for it. Outside going to Mexico the Pack has never left Beacon Hills and every challenge we've faced so far has come to us and we have mostly been on the defence. 

This mission is about to change that but unlike what happened with the chimeras I don't plan to see the people we seek to help die right before our eyes which is why I asked you here. Mom and Doctor Deaton, I would like to ask that you join us on the mission as field medics to attend those in need of medical attention.

Miss Morrell, I just received new intelligence that New Orleans has a group called the Faction consisting of three members who are leaders of their species; humans, witches and vampires although vampires have two leaders and essentially run the city. Lucien happens to be one of the duo leading vampires.

If Deaton agrees to help he'll join Derek's team so I would like to ask you to join my team as my emissary. With the reveal of Lucien's status..."

"You still want to continue with the plan?" Marin interrupted Scott, eyes studying him.

"Yes." He answered without missing a beat. "We already saw what three scientists can do, I'm not about to wait and find out what a vampire with a whole organization behind him can do. Beside that everyone on my pack could be the next to be kidnapped and experimented on, Peter's vision proves as much. Malia isn't the only one at risk and even if she was or wasn't we would still continue with the plan.

There is an organization dedicated to hunting down people and taking them away from their families and friends to experiment on them. As we speak there could be a family that just realized one of theirs is missing and won't learn about their fate until the police come knocking at their door to ask them to identify a body and that's if there's even a body to be found. I don't know about you but I can't, I won't let such a thing continue."

Silence reigned after that for a few moments before Malia appeared in her coyote form, her eyes that of a natural coyote. She went to her fellow alpha's side and faced the adults too.

"I know how it feels to be hunted." Continued the Tribrid, getting a whine from the she-coyote which prompted him to run his hands through her fur in comfort. "She does too. I also know how it feels to..."

For a moment he experienced a flashback to waking up on a ritual platform back in Mexico a moment before Kate revealed herself and turned him into a berserker. The feeling of the animal spirit taking over and for another moment wondered if the people Belasko possessed experienced what he did and what that said about him allowing that to happen, he had to ask the raven some questions.

"I also know how it feels to be in the shoes of those being experimented on. So does Lydia, Hayden, Mason, Corey and even Derek, and they and the rest of the Pack won't turn a blind eye to Lucien and Kingmaker's true activities." Completed the boy, hoping to get positive answers.

The adult trio took all that Scott said and let it sink in for a few moments. For Marin accepting to help would be like coming out of retirement since she hasn't been that active in the supernatural world since Deucalion kicked her out of the Pack and the Alpha Pack disbanded. Yes, she worked with supernaturals at Eichen House but that wasn't the same. It was why she asked her question to see if it was worth it.

On the other hand Alan contemplated his protege's reasons for wanted him to join Derek's team and his sister his. Apart from Derek and the others being more used to him, the McCall probably wanted to keep his true emissary's identity secret from the outside world and Marin's association with the Alpha Pack had its own uses, especially since he defeated the Alpha Pack.

Her presence would definitely help the True Alpha leave an impression that would prevent retaliation, more so with her experience as Deucalion and the Alpha Pack's emissary. Scott was already associated with Deucalion after the Demon Wolf assisted in the defeat of the Chimera Pack and the Beast of Gevaudan and Aiden and Ethan after they helped defeat the Nogitsune, even one twin dying while doing so.

When one added the fact that the boy was also associated with Chris Argent and Allison before her death after he defeated Gerard Argent and the same could be said with Derek after they defeated Peter, twice, and two of his current pack members were part of the Chimera Pack, it left the impression that the True Alpha didn't just defeat his enemies, he also earned their allegiance along with those associated with them somehow. 

Anyone who took notice of that detail and was smart enough would be cautious when considering to go against him and if the missions went according to plan and he added one more victory on top of killing the resurrected Beast of Gevaudan a few months ago it would be clear that to cross the McCall Pack was suicide. But the magic was in the Pack's ability to show compassion and empathy, being considerate.

Doctor Deaton knew that Deputy Jordan Parrish and Sheriff Stilinski were in talks with New Orleans law enforcement to secure the safe return of the survivors to their families and Agent Rafael McCall was doing the same on his front. He also knew that there will be blood spilled as well as death during the missions but since Scott was asking them to be present as medics life will also be preserved and that brought about balance.

Melissa McCall thought about leaving Beacon Hills with her son to find a better and peaceful life elsewhere, supernatural free, she really did, more so after she had to revive him. But it appeared her supernatural son was determined to be involved in the supernatural world. She wondered if Scott was aware that the more enemies he faced and defeated the more he solidified his role in the supernatural community.

Case in point Gerard Argent and Deucalion's defeat led to him gaining a "devoted fan" who came after him to claim his power. If his devoted fans were all like that the nurse prayed they not encounter his devoted haters. Things like that made her regret telling him that he had to do something during his earlier days in the supernatural world, but here they were today, talking about missions, field medics and emissaries.

Malia took in everything in silence and like her fellow alpha awaited the adults' responses although she already knew the veterinarian would help and the nurse too if she can take a few days off work, the psychologist was the unknown. She... The she-coyote's thoughts came to a halt when Scott suddenly stopped running his hand through her fair, prompting her to look at him and noticed the telltale signs of a mental conversation with Belasko and so did Melissa and Alan.

'You really think they are traditional werewolves?' Asked the Tribrid, after Raven1 informed him about the pack he discovered in New Orleans.

'Their mannerism are that of werewolves and I can sense they are closer to Tyler than Liam. Adding the fact that full wolf transformation is rare in evolved werewolves...' Replied the raven, still at the Bayou.

'Alright. Um, how far are you with-Wait...!' Conceded the alpha, before he began to inquire but realized something. 'If there are werewolves in New Orleans why aren't they represented in the Faction and vampires are running the city?'

"Vampires and werewolves don't really get along, Scott." Answered Doctor Deaton, assuming the raven sent to New Orleans just told him that there were werewolves there.

"Huh?" Asked a confused Scott before he realized that he didn't think his response to Raven1 but said it out loud. "Oh, uh... Raven1 just told me that he found a pack of wolves just outside New Orleans and he thinks-senses that they are traditional werewolves." 'We'll talk later, Raven1.'

"He can do that?" Asked an impressed nurse.

Finding the new information interesting Malia shape-shifted into her human form and Scott gave her the backpack containing her clothes.

"Malia..." Groaned Melissa, the girl was just too much sometimes.

"What?" Questioned the werecoyote while she dressed, getting a sigh from the woman.

"Who is Raven1?" Was Marin's interjection, having noticed the change in the Tribrid's behavior and since everyone seemed to have also noticed it and accepted what he said she wanted to be informed.

"We'll tell you if you become my emissary and his secondary emissary." The Alphette answered before her counterpart could, pointing at him at the end.

"If you want me to join your team you have to trust and tell me things." Countered the druid, looking at Scott.

"And if you want to know pack secrets you'll have to be pack." Returned the werecoyote, and done with getting dressed her position gained a bit of weight.

Alan and Melissa decided to stay out of the interaction between the two and so did Scott. Just as Malia respected his status in the pack he also respected hers and right now she was making a very good point and their pack could use the druid's skills as an in-house psychologist and emissary.

With a female emissary the girls would be able to ask questions and advises they weren't comfortable with asking their male emissary or didn't think he was informed about. Yes, Doctor Deaton was a man of knowledge, both supernatural and scientific but he didn't know it all, no one did.

The Morrell decided to let it be since the Alphette wasn't going to budge and the True Alpha was in obvious support of what she said so... 

"Like Alan said, vampires and werewolves don't get along so the vampires might have driven the werewolves out of the city in fear of their fatal bite." She suggested instead.

"But how can traditional werewolves turn into wolves without the full moon? Scott said that Raven1 found a pack of wolves that he senses are traditional werewolves." Inquired Malia, remembering what had her turning human in the first place.

"Just as the Dread Doctors found a way to create chimeras and bypass supernatural laws maybe Lucien found a way to bypass that condition with his experiments. As much as traditional werewolves are dangerous in their wolf forms forcing them to stay as wolves would cut them off from society, giving vampires the space they need to establish themselves as the supreme species." Suggested Alan.

"But you forget, brother. Witches and vampires don't really get along either. The witches wouldn't just bow to the vampires." Said Marin, knowing that usually witches would choose werewolves over vampires.

"Unless they have something to gain." Proposed Melissa, taking a perspective of her own. "There's a chance they know about Lucien's activities and they have made a deal to help rid the city of werewolves and in exchange Lucien doesn't kidnap and experiment on witches, and maybe they benefit from the experiments too. The same could be said about humans, considering vampire blood can heal."

Everyone had to admit that that was a possibility, which meant they may not have to deal with just the vampires.

"Do you still want to continue with the plan?" Marin echoed her earlier question, she didn't get an answer this time but she wasn't expecting one.

Break

While the McCall Pack and it's allies were faced with hard decisions Bonnie Bennett was celebrating, having just found a spell that appeared similar to the ones used against Greta and Stefan. The spell was called Magic-Relinquishment, it allowed witches to give up their magic willingly by placing it into an object or a person.

Her thought was that another witch could use a variation of the spell against another witch and strip them of their magic, and the same could be done against vampires since magic kept them alive although on a different scale. The fact that someone else would be taking the magic meant that person was the only one who could return it or at least a witch would need the object or person used to store the magic.

The young witch's goal now was to create a variation of her own. She kind of wished Damon was still alive so that she could test it on him and see how he dealt with being powerless but since he wasn't Katherine and Klaus would do. The downside of the spell was that the caster had to have a physical connection with the target. Encouraged by her discovery the Bennett proceeded to start on her new witchcraft project.

Break

Over at the Lockwood at the Lockwood house Tyler made a discovery of his own. He wanted to checkout Beacon Hills High School Football Team to compare to his high school's and maybe watch a game or two of theirs online, what he didn't expect to see was a picture of his mother in the search results though with one difference, the name and title. Natalie Martin, current Principal of Beacon Hills High School.

He recalled the pictures he found in the box and the aunt he didn't know about and assumed dead. A quick search gave weight to the Lockwood's suspicion, his aunt wasn't so dead after all. Now the weird looks Scott and Liam had when they met his mother and her weird reaction when she learned they were from Beacon Hills made sense.

It wasn't that they were checking her own to get him angry while teaching him to control his anger or that she was flattered, hopefully. Things were fun when you did them to other people, not when they were done to you. Now the question was why did his mother hide her sister from him, put everything about them inside a box, taped the lid and forgot about it? And why didn't the Beacon Hills duo mention anything?

There was only one way for Tyler to get the answers to his questions and his mother held most of them. Liam and Scott were secondary.

Break

Rebekah was right, she didn't like what Klaus was keeping from her, not at all. Though there was still hope that Stefan would return to her once her half brother breaks his compulsion there was a chance that he wouldn't and that troubled her. How was it that everytime she falls in love it always ends in heartache and her brothers are always involved?

They all hurt each other over the centuries, the girl knew that she wasn't an angel or a saint, she hurt them too but this was becoming too much. Was she not deserving of love, the one thing she desired above all else? Yes, Rebekah wanted to live a normal life but if she had to chose between living a normal life and being in a loving relationship love would always win, it was something she has wanted since she was a child.

Finn's life desire was to die, truly die, Elijah's was to see Klaus redeemed and find happiness, Klaus' was to have those of his own kind and their unconditional love and undying loyalty, they were a second chance at what a family should be to him and Kol's was to be accepted as part of the family and included in the 'always and forever' vow between Elijah, Niklaus and Rebekah.

Rebekah's life desire was to find love and happiness; if she had love and happiness she had a home and if she had a home she had a family of her own. Elijah was right, family was sacred, so was love but how was she supposed to find it and happiness with Klaus always taking away every chance she had at them?

These were the thoughts of a girl who has had her heart broken far too many times but still dared to love on the road to Mystic Falls, hoping Stefan Salvatore didn't end up as another could have been, if that was the case then Klaus would lose another hybrid when they arrive at their destination.


	19. Chapter 19

It's been a few days since making copies of Lucien Castle's sale contracts with Scott McCall and Eve was still puzzled by her findings, especially after she found out who this Scott McCall was. When she arrived home the first thing she did was run his name through a search engine and there weren't a lot of Scott McCall's out there, saying that was actually an understatement since she only found one, a teenage boy who was just about to graduate from high school.

The woman also found videos of him playing lacrosse, including one of him bringing a match to a pause to save a bird with impressive moves. The video had a lot of views, likes and comments and Eve couldn't help herself, she read a few of the comments, maybe a little more than a few but this wasn't about that. The thing was she couldn't comprehend how Lucien sold his company and properties to the boy.

He was just a kid from a town she has never heard of who was good at lacrosse and cared about animals enough to stop a goal for his team to rescue a bird, a raven apparently. Nothing was special or note worthy about Scott, he was as average as a lot of boys his age so why would Lucien give him everything he owned? A thought crossed her mind that maybe it was part of the vampire's plans.

But if that wasn't so then how did the McCall buy all that he did at such a price, how did he find out about the sale in the first place and why was he the only buyer? Eve didn't rule out that there might be more to the boy. Maybe he was a vampire as well, the woman knew that some vampires did have normalized lives and blended in quite well, Lucien being one of them.

He was a billionaire playboy CEO by day and vampire co-leader by night. Supernaturals learned to blend in well since the beginning, herself included. There was only one way to find out if Scott McCall was more than he appeared to be, make a phone call to her least favorite untriggered werewolf, Francesca Guerrera, although people knew her as Francesca Correa.

Francesca was from the believed to be extinct Guerrera werewolf bloodline, pretending to be human along with her family. Though they were untriggered she was the Alpha of the Guerrera Pack, owner of the Palace Royale hotel and casino and leader of a the New Orleans drug cartel.

The Guerrera Pack was also contributing to the plan for New Orleans Werewolf Community to reclaim what they lost which was why Eve was giving her a call, the woman had connections.

"What do you want?" Was Francesca's greeting, already knowing her caller wanted something.

"Information on a Scott McCall from Beacon Hills, California."

Break

Since becoming the leader of the Town Council Meredith Fell has been on the hunt for vampires in Mystic Falls and she began her search by looking into those who were associated the late Damon Salvatore, beginning with his brother Stefan. The first think she found was that he didn't go through the proper channels to be accepted at Mystic Falls High School and he had no prior academic history, a red flag.

The second was his identification, the only Stefan Salvatore recorded in Mystic Falls database was his 'ancestor' and they looked the same. The third was that he was currently dating Elena Gilbert who was friends with Caroline Forbes who was daughter to Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. Now that detail gave the doctor pause and she remembered that Caroline was involved in a car accident that she recovered from extremely quickly.

At the time she hadn't thought much of it but since the information the Council had on vampires appeared to be dated, considering vampires could walk in sunlight and not get burned, the woman looked at the case with different eyes. She also looked into Tyler Lockwood since he was involved in the car accident but didn't find anything out of the ordinary, the same with Elena and Bonnie Bennett, Jeremy Gilbert and Matthew Donovan.

Well the Donovan's case was a unique case though in human terms. The only suspects were Stefan and Caroline, the latter of the two put Elizabeth on the spotlight, more so since she was the one to suggest Damon replace Mayor Carol Lockwood's place as the leader of the Town Council since he didn't have work, was Zach's 'nephew' and had access to their vervain supply.

Meredith was still waiting for the conclusion to her investigate that she had to conduct with caution so as not to alarm her suspects before she reaches a conclusion and acts but in the meantime the Sheriff was not going to learn much about the Town Council's plans, or at least the real ones, no one was. The doctor was going to plant a few seeds, different from each other and see who would leak them.

Just because there weren't any vampires in the Council that didn't mean there weren't any leaks, not when their town sheriff was suspect.

Break

Silence reigned inside the McCall house as the McCall Pack digested the new information they just received from their alpha and alphette concerning their planned attack on Lucien Castle's research bases.

"The mission was already dangerous, but this... This just makes it a suicide mission. It was supposed to be a learning experience for you guys..." Said Scott, breaking the silence, pointing at Liam, Hayden, Mason and Corey. "And the last mission we do together before we separate and everything changes but... (sigh)"

"But..." Prompted Liam, anxious.

"I'm calling it off." Answered the True Alpha, and silence reigned once again.

Being the one who has known the McCall the longest Lydia was shocked. For as long as she has known him he never gave up, especially on saving people regardless of who they were or the situation, that very reason was one of the reasons why she was still alive and to hear him say what he just said was surreal.

This was the same boy who vowed to help her stop the murders Jennifer Blake was behind, joined Deucalion's Alpha Pack to find his mother and even died for her. This was the same boy who led their friends, their pack to her rescue inside Eichen House while still recovering from dying.

This was... The banshee's thoughts came to a halt as she remembered something else. This was also the same boy who didn't heal after they thought Derek died and almost died himself due to guilt. This was the same boy who still felt guilty for failing to save Allison just as...

"What?" Mason summarized most of his pack mates' thoughts, disbelief evident in his voice.

"It's been about two and a half years since Peter bit me and Derek introduced me to the supernatural world and in that time five of our friends and allies have died. Erica, Boyd, Allison, Aiden and Stiles, respectively. None of them graduated from high school and they will never get the chance to.

Jordan has and is working as a deputy but he still has his whole life ahead of him that may include a family someday." Began the Tribrid, and at his last words Jordan and Lydia shared a look. "Lydia, Malia and I, we're about to graduate. Corey, Mason, Hayden and Liam, you four are still in high school and have two more years before you graduate. I will not lead you to your deaths. The mission is off."

With his part done Scott began to retread to his bedroom, leaving behind a room full of...

"You're lying." Malia's voice stopped him, confident in her accusation.

When the boy turned around to maybe ask what he was lying about she continued, having earned everyone's attention.

"The mission isn't off. Your father is still working on it with the FBI and you haven't called back the ravens or Argent. You're probably thinking about giving the Calaveras the coordinates of the second research base but I know you're planning to attack the main base by yourself." Said the Tate, anger clear in her voice on the last part. 

Now that cleared any confusion the Pack had especially when they saw the telltales of being caught appear in the True Alpha's body language. What the Alphette said made a lot of sense and so did her anger.

"So that's your plan? To be the sixth to die?" Questioned Lydia, she too angry.

"I'm not going to die, Lydia." Replied Scott, he wasn't even sure if he could with what Bonnie and Tyler told him and Liam while in Mystic Falls about his paternal family, talking to Peter was a precaution that was needed after the whole Esther thing. 

"What makes you so sure? The last time I checked even vampires die, Scott." Malia pointed out, getting nods of agreement for the pack.

The McCall considered his options and figured this was probably an opportunity for him to reveal one more secret while he still had time and in a controlled environment. He was learning that secrets didn't last forever, Tyler's phone call proved as much. Oh, the werewolf called about a day ago, having discovered that he had an aunt but when he asked his mother she didn't say anything.

Scott provided his excuse for not mentioning anything and got the cousins, Lydia and Tyler, in contact with each other. With that in mind he stilled himself.

"I'm not sure, I actually don't know if I can die." The True Alpha answered the werecoyote's question.

"Even if you're some kind of Original vampire you can die, Scott. A white oak stake to the heart is all that's needed to kill you." Responded Lydia, and earned herself everyone's attention.

"What do you mean by "some kind of Original vampire"?" Corey asked the question on everyone's mind while his alpha's heart rate picked up speed.

"The Dread Doctors didn't use traditional methods to turn you, Corey. What makes you think they used them to turn Scott? They probably used something that acts like the white oak or maybe the white oak wood itself to turn him into a vampire, making him generation zero like the Originals, I mean they can compel other vampires and so can Scott, only he can also compel canine shape-shifters probably because of his true alpha status." Explained the banshee, a little disappointed they didn't figure it out.

"Whoa!" Liam summed up everyone's thought, looking at their alpha with wide awed eyes with the revelation.

"Um, I was born a vampire, actually." Came Scott's Earth shattering confession.

As Earth shattering as it was no one took him seriously except Jordan.

"Uh, vampires can't procreate, Scott." Came Mason's response, which everyone agreed on, including the Scott himself though... 

"But an original vampire-werewolf hybrid can." He countered, and awaited the Pack to figure out what he implied.

It didn't take long before... 

"No way!" Lydia exclaimed in disbelief, having put the pieces together.

Jordan's question concerning the Tribrid's parentage was finally answered and all he could do was blink, trying to figure out how a union between Nurse Melissa McCall and Klaus Mikaelson he has heard a lot of bad things about came to be, he just didn't see it happening.

"There's only one original vampire-werewolf hybrid in the world." Said a suspicious Malia, coming to a conclusion.

"No way." Came Mason and Hayden's response, the former shaking his head.

Corey on the other hand couldn't come up with anything to say, his only reaction was his mouth opening then closing while he slowly blinked his disbelief.

"So, you're mom is a witch?" Asked a confused Liam.

"Or are you adopted?" Joined Mason.

"Wait, Klaus didn't break his curse until just recently. How would he..."

"Silencio!" Came Scott's reply in a form of a spell, cutting Lydia's question off and sealing everyone's mouths shut.

In the silence that came everyone realized that the Tribrid was overwhelmed with their reactions, probably a mixture of their verbal, physical and chemo-signal reactions which caused his outburst and if Malia wasn't mistaken make a small crack on the floor beneath him. They gave him some space and time to calm down and once calm he waved a hand to cancel the spell.

"Sorry. I just..."

"Felt overwhelmed and panicked? That happens." Interrupted the banshee, while she tried to understand the spell and how it worked.

"I wish I could do that to some of the teachers at school. And learners." Said Malia, dissolving any tension as everyone cracked smiles imagining what that would be like.

With the situation under control the vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid began to explain his existence and some of what his late grandmother Esther Mikaelson said in the soulscape.

Break

"Welcome to Mystic Falls." Read Rebekah, as they drove passed the sign, nostalgia in her voice. "When was the last time we were here?"

"We never returned after we left." Answered Klaus, having had the same reaction when he found out where Tatia Petrova's doppelganger was born.

Mystic Falls was the last place they were mortal but not where they were happiest at, that honor belonged to New Orleans, the city they built and spent the longest time in. But that city was also one where the hybrid lost his adoptive son, and though he didn't know it Rebekah lost a lover, which was one of the reasons he didn't think about returning there. The man wanted a new start just as New Orleans had been then.

"It's so different." Said the vampire, when the town fully came into view.

The Original Hybrid didn't say anything, just kept on driving, glad Greta already made arrangements for them although they were one hybrid less. He was starting to regret bringing Rebekah back. His Hybrid Pack didn't take the loss well, even more so when they couldn't avenge their late pack mate, not even their alpha could because his sister threatened to kill more if Klaus bit her or tried to dagger her in retaliation.

They were strong, there was no doubt about that especially after their training but they weren't idiots. At least they got their revenge in the form of rejecting the Original vampire from their bonding time during the last few days. The journey from where they were to Mystic Falls was just a day but they all needed time to process everything, including Rebekah so they took days.

She wasn't surprised by their rejection, it wasn't anything new hence she didn't bother getting close to them in the first place, she just enjoyed Kimberly's stories even though they were about werewolves, the girl was a very good storyteller. Speaking of the hybrid, the girl was driving behind Klaus' truck with two of her pack mates riding with her while another two were in their own car just behind hers.

It didn't take long before the Hybrid Pack and Rebekah arrived at their destination and what a mansion it was, mixed well with nature to the werewolf hybrid' luck.

"You out did yourself, love." Was Klaus' greeting to Greta who welcomed everyone, it seemed like the witch didn't need magic to make things happen.

"You were very specific." She said in response, walking to the front door, having received them outside. "Come, I'll give you a tour then show you to your rooms."

"And you are?" Asked Harley Marshall, following with everyone.

"The witch without magic, obviously." Kimberly answered before the Martin could, eliciting chuckles from the pack except Klaus.

The witch opened the door and entered before she turned around to face everyone, a smile on her face.

"Greta Martin, and the only person with the power to let you inside the house." She said, looking at Kimberly who looked a little confused and turned to Klaus.

"The property is in her name to keep unwelcome guests out." He revealed, before looking between the witch and vampire-werewolf hybrid and decided to advise the latter before Greta invited him inside the house. "I would apologize if I were you."

Everyone doubted that, everyone. Klaus Mikaelson wasn't know for apologies, even those that thought him and his family a myth knew that. But his sister understood what made him choose his witch's side instead of his first beta's.

"You seem to forget. Until recently, my brother was a vampire-werewolf hybrid without his connection to the werewolf part. Don't you remind him of that fact every day, Kimberly?" Reminded Rebekah, before Greta invited her inside the house.

The Martin was confused, however, when the Original Hybrid's sister winked at her with a friendly smile when she passed by. She was almost certain the Mikaelson wasn't into girls... Ah, it seemed like Rebekah was offering an olive branch. They could both use a friend, supposed the mortal girl but she had matters to attend to right now.

"Kimberly, was it?" Began Greta, no longer smiling. "You better make that apology sincere, or else you and your laughing buddies will spend five nights outside."

"I like your witch." Rebekah said to Klaus, listening in to how said witch handled the situation.

It was obvious to her the Martin wasn't just retaliating, she was also making her position clear to everyone.

Break

"What's the likelihood of Lucien possessing a white oak stake?" Asked Scott after everything had settled and his pack digested his latest revelation, for the most part.

Malia, Jordan, Lydia, Liam, Hayden, Mason and Corey had to admit that it wasn't likely that the old vampire had the white oak wood but...

"There are fates worse than death, Scott. What happens if you're captured?" The Parrish raised a question the McCall probably hadn't thought about, but as a former soldier the hellhound knew these things.

"Yeah, what happens if you're captured, again?" Supported Liam, not liking that idea because his alpha was capture once and turned into something that didn't recognize them and vice versa. "If it wasn't for Kira we would have killed you the last time."

"The ravens..." The McCall tried to explain but was interrupted.

"Won't be enough alone." Said Lydia, and went on to explain why. "Without proper support, the support you hand picked to attack the main base, you can't get to Lucien, free the captives and bring them to safety, hide sensitive material before the police arrive and stop the people working for Lucien from escaping."

"Do you have any idea how many people we're up against, Lydia? What kind of people they are?" Questioned the True Alpha.

"Enlighten us." Was Malia's response, arms crossed.

"The kind of people who have no problem with turning a blind eye to Lucien's activities. People who are willing to sacrifice four teenagers to gain more power. People who will kill us if we give them the chance and if they don't kill us they'll capture us to be experimented on!" Enlightened Scott, before he paused then asked a question. "Do you realize that every single person is this room would be a gold mine for these people?"

Before more could be said on the subject Scott, Malia, Jordan, Liam, Hayden and Corey suddenly turned their heads in one direction, all having heard a car stop at the McCall house. Their action caused Lydia and Mason to become alert in turn. The chimera of the Pack raised a hand with two fingers up, indicating that there were two people when they heard the doors open and close before the people got out and approached the house.

It was a reflexive move since he was the Pack's primary scout with specialized training. The True Alpha followed his beta's hand signal with one of his own, signaling for everyone to be on standby, waiting for the two individuals to knock first. Their reaction was due to the mission they were debating about, having involved the authorities they had to be cautious with what they said and their surroundings.

"Are they having a study session or something?" The McCall Pack heard a female voice ask, one that Scott found familiar.

"They're waiting for us." The Pack heard a second voice say, a male's voice, one that Scott, Malia, Jordan, Lydia who could now hear and Liam recognized.

The True Alpha blinked a few times before he smiled and went to open the door, leaving Lydia to give the signal that all was good. He opened the door with his smile getting a little bigger and welcomed the owner of the male voice with a hug that was returned.

"You know, normally the guy hugs the girl, not her brother." Commented the female, arms crossed with a small smile on her face.

"Only when he's sure the girl isn't going to kick his ass for hugging her, Cora. But since you asked so nicely..." Said Scott, letting go of Cora's brother, who entered the house a little unsure about letting the two hug, and hugged the girl who reciprocated.

Everyone suddenly heard a growl and looked around to find it's source to be none other than Malia, eyes alpha red and focused at the door. Though surprised Lydia smiled a little when she identified her friend's sudden growl to be territorial in nature, it seemed like while the brother was undecided the cousin wasn't.

Said friend stopped her growl when she noticed she had everyone's attention and took note of the Martin's smile while her eyes took human form.

"What's with the smile?" She asked while Scott and Cora separated, both feeling a bit awkward now.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Said Lydia, but her smile and tone said otherwise.

Cora entered before Scott closed the door and joined the Pack around the table 

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Derek Hale, the person who introduced me to the supernatural world and Cora Hale, his sister. Derek, Cora, meet the Pack. You both already know Lydia so..." The McCall proceeded to introduce the others. "... And this is..."

"Malia Tate, alpha werecoyote who is also your second-in-command, and my first cousin." Cora completed, measuring Malia up just as she was measuring her.

"I didn't know you were coming." Said Scott, a suspicious of the timing.

"I called Derek to get some sense into you, just in case." Revealed the Alphette, focusing on the bigger issue. "If we're not continuing the mission you aren't either."

The True Alpha's suspicion was confirmed and he couldn't even get mad about it.

"Still thinking about doing it alone?" Asked Derek, crossing his arms.

"You know, I remember something you said when we were debating the risks of breaking into the bank vault without being well informed to save Boyd and Cora." Said the McCall, looking the former alpha in the eye. "I know what I'm risking. My life, for theirs. I'm sure you thought the same thing when you healed Cora and came with Jennifer to the distillery."

The Pack and Cora took that in silently. Derek just realized that the boy learned a lot more than he thought from him. On the other hand the Hale girl was touched once again by what her older brother was willing to do for her, to save her. People often thought actions spoke louder than words but nothing could replace words.

"Do you also remember what you told Deucalion inside that distillery when he asked you who was going to save Melissa and Allison and Stiles' fathers?" Derek inquired, having been down but not out.

His question appeared to drain the fight out of the True Alpha, making everyone wonder what he said.

"Yeah." Replied Scott, looking at everyone around the table. "My Pack."

They were two simple words, but they carried a lot of weight, for the night Scott McCall ascended to alphahood was also the first time he officially acknowledged the pack he assembled as an omega werewolf when Deucalion referred to them as his friends and he corrected the former Alpha of Alphas and addressed them as his pack.

"Nicely played, Malia." Cora complemented Malia, impressed. "For some reason I think mom would have done the same thing you did to handle the situation."

That got a smile from the Alphette, having heard of Talia Hale's reputation and status in the supernatural community.

'So, what's it gonna be, True Alpha?' Asked Raven8, the raven that was initially assigned to look after Corey and currently one of two still Beacon Hills.

'We get ourselves more allies, Raven8. You already know what Argent told me, relate it to Raven1.' Was the True Alpha's response.

Break

While the McCall Pack fixed their internal issues Alaric Saltzman and Elena Gilbert were also resolving their situation, kind of.

"Why can't Stefan sleep here?" Asked an upset Elena, beginning to regret ever agreeing to be the man's ward.

"Responsible guardians don't just allow their ward's boyfriends to sleepover, Elena. I'm trying here. For the past months your life has been turbulent and I'm trying to give you as normal a life as I can, the life I'm sure your parents and Jenna wanted for you." Replied Alaric, feeling rather old. "This might not make sense to you right but it will someday. Now if I remember correctly, you have homework to do."

The girl stormed out of the kitchen, heading to her room. She had gotten so used to having her way before the approval of the man's application to be her guardian was approved and now all these rules and guardian supervision felt strange to her, limiting and maybe a little...

"You do realize that's typical teenage reaction, don't you?!" The Saltzman pointed out.

Familiar. The supervision felt familiar, it reminded the Gilbert of her adoptive parents. As much as her late aunt Jenna tried, she could never really pull off being authoritative and strict like her parents because she herself didn't like authority and rules though she tried. Alaric on the other hand...

Elena had to admit that the last few weeks were her most 'normal' in a long time. Her guardian and history teacher was really trying and it seemed he was succeeding.

The girl never thought she would miss being treated like the child she was and behaving as such, having someone else make the hard decisions, worry about her and adult stuff. It felt nice, even being sent to her room to do homework but the Gilbert wasn't about to admit it out loud.

Alaric smiled anyway for he saw the girl pause a little and from a reflection saw a smile she tried to suppress blossom, it appeared Nurse Monroe was right after all and he was wise to ask for advise. Gaining custody was the first step, maintaining it and following through with all that it came with was the hard part but he was getting there.

Break

In New Orleans two vampires were discussing their own situation though they weren't having much success.

"There's no way Vampire2 would suddenly disappear, he loves the side jobs I give him too much to leave the city." Said Lucien, having been informed which vampires disappeared.

"What concerns me is that none of our guys can find anything. Usually at least one of us knows what's going on." Voiced Marcel, a glass of whiskey in hand.

"Maybe the witches have a hand in this, maybe they grew a spine after completing their witchy ritual." Suggested the older vampire.

"I doubt it. You know Josephine doesn't tell us anything unless the Witch Faction will benefit somehow. She needs our help to handle whatever is coming, whether it's a literal storm or figurative." Said the Gerard.

"Or there's no storm. That woman is crafty and could be trying to distract us." Proposed Lucien. "No one has been able to evade us for almost a century but somehow two vampires disappear without a trace just a few months after the witches did their ritual to appease their ancestors and gain more power. What does that tell you, Marcel? Why would they need our help when they just refreshed their connection to the Ancestors?"

Marcel paused to think about the possibility before something came to mind. Having know the Castle for as long as he has...

"Maybe you're right." Admitted the younger vampire, for there was a possibility the man was right. "Or maybe you want to use this to your advantage so that you can get your hands on at least one of the Harvest Witches. Remember our deal, Lucien. No children. You can continue with your experiments but no children."

"It's funny you mentioned the Harvest Witches, I've been meaning to ask you. Does the 'No Children' condition only apply to me?" Inquired the ancient vampire, curiosity clear in his voice. "We both heard about what the witches were going to do before they did it, sacrifice four teenage girls to appease their ancestors and gain more power and yet you did nothing to stop them."

"I did nothing because of you! What do you think would have happened if I stopped the damn ritual?" Defended a defensive Gerard. "It would have seemed like we were trying to suppress them and planning to exile them like we did with the werewolves and in turn they would have retaliated with shutting down your programs including the technology you've been developing!

You seem to forget that vampires aren't your only employees, you have humans and witches working for you and if there is friction between the factions..."

"You wouldn't be able to get the Werewolf Bite Vaccine and Anti-Compulsion Serum I've working on since before your birth in time to defend against your father if he finds out about your betrayal before they're ready and the Witch Faction is against you." Lucien completed for his co-leader, and received a fist to the face that didn't do much.

"You don't know anythin...!" Shouted Marcel, going for another punch but received one himself to the gut and fell to his knees, coughing.

The more experienced vampire came to his side and knelt beside him, raising the younger vampire's head so that their eyes could met.

"I know everything. I was that man for one hundred years and before that he stole the love of my life from me just as he stole Rebekah from you." Said the Castle, hate clear in his voice.

"I know you're afraid he'll find out about everything, your betrayal and how you're still alive and come back to ruin the kingdom we've built in his absence but we've ensured that neither he nor his family find out anything for almost a century now and we'll continue to until we're ready to take him out." Continued the vampire. "I understand what you did was for us, for our people.

Once we have the Werewolf Bite Vaccine and Anti-Compulsion Serum we will punish those witches for sacrificing four innocent children to gain more power and we will ensure there are no more Harvest Rituals done. Deal?"

Marcel calmed himself down and accepted Lucien's offered hand to assist him in standing up. Somehow it seemed like the man could see right through him. The Gerard suspected it was because the Castle was also afraid of Klaus' return before they were ready. They both knew just how ruthless the Original was and would destroy everything they worked hard to build before he killed them, that's why...

"Deal." Marcel accepted Lucien's proposal.

"Now let's find our missing vampires." Said the ancient vampire, pleased that he still had the boy on his side.


	20. Chapter 20

The night of the full moon found Marin Morrell and Derek Hale walking through the wetlands of the Bayou, the latter occasionally checking his phone for instructions to their destination.

"We're close." He said, putting away his phone.

They walked for a little longer before the werewolf subtly tapped the druid's arm twice, notifying her that they were being followed. The Morrell took lead from there, leading them to a nearby clearing.

"May you please come out so that we can have a conversation." Said Marin once they were in the middle of the clearing, looking in the direction they came from.

There was silence for a few moments before a young man, Male1, of Derek's age came out but maintained a distance by standing at the edge of the clearing.

"How did you know I was following you?" He asked friendly, looking at the two in curiosity and caution.

"Why were you following us?" The druid asked in return without answering.

"Why wouldn't I? You're in my territory." Replied the young man. "I've answered your question, answer mine."

"I don't think it's wise to advise our stalker on how to hide better, especially when his friend is circling around us while he distracts us." Responded the Morrell, moonlight washing over her face.

Said friend, a young female, Female1, stepped on a twig by mistake, surprised by being discovered while he was indeed circling around, making it snap and announcing his position, essentially forcing her to reveal herself.

"Why are you here? What are you looking for in a place like this at night?" Asked Male1, no longer friendly as his partner came to stand by his side.

"We're looking for a pack of wolves, the locals call this particular pack the Crescent Wolf Pack." Answered Marin, getting to the point.

"Who are you?" Questioned Female1, standing at her partner's side. 

"The people who have a proposal for the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack." Answered Derek, hearing a few footsteps heading their way and cleared his throat to let his own partner know.

"What's the proposal?" Female1 followed up.

"Are you the Alpha?" Inquired Marin, looking at the young woman although she knew the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack was a male according to the information Scott gave them.

"I am." Answered a male voice, coming from behind Female1 and Male1 with two others. "Alpha Jackson Kenner of the Crescent Wolf Moon. Who are you?"

He couldn't smell the scents of the duo who entered his land because the wind was blowing sideways so he settled for introduction.

"I'm Emissary Morrell of the McCall Pack, sent to initiate friendly contact with your pack and present a proposal." Replied Marin, not introducing Derek on purpose just as the alpha didn't introduce his betas.

Her reply appeared to surprise the Kenner and the two he arrived with who shared a look, making the druid and evolved werewolf think they at least heard of Scott's Pack.

"Scott McCall's Pack?" Inquired Jackson, confirming their thought.

Just about an hour and a half ago Eve arrived with copies of the contracts she made and information on Scott McCall and they had been going through them until a beta came to warn Jackson of two unknown people in the wetland and they came to check.

"I suggest you use his proper title, Alpha Kenner. Or we might as well end this meeting before we even get to the proposal." Was the druid's response, taking offense at the lack of the Tribrid's proper title.

Derek leaned over to whisper in Marin's ear before he resumed standing just a quarter of a foot at her five o'clock.

"And could you please not treat us as threats by having us surrounded? We've made our intentions here quite clear. If you insist on treating us as threats the McCall Pack will consider you threats and if any harm befalls us you'll be considered enemies of the Pack. I believe you know our track record with our enemies." Added the Morrell, keeping her eyes on the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack.

"Is that a threat?" Questioned Jackson, jaw tightening.

"Do you want it to be?" Countered the emissary, not backing down.

A tense silence issued, neither giving ground for one was in his territory but the other wasn't about to show weakness in a potentially hostile environment. The Kenner ended up leaning over to one of the people he came with and whispered an order. The individual parted and a few moments later the Hale heard the people who had them surrounded leave and told his partner as much.

"What's the proposal, Emissary Morrell?" Asked Jackson after getting confirmation that his orders were followed.

"True Alpha Scott McCall of the McCall Pack proposes an alliance between the McCall Pack and Crescent Wolf Pack with the goal of bringing peace and balance to New Orleans." Presented the woman.

"What do you mean exactly by "... bringing peace and balance to New Orleans."?" Questioned the alpha.

"True Alpha McCall is aware of what happened in New Orleans a little over two decades ago and the consequences. The absence of the New Orleans Werewolf Community in the city left a power vacuum that allowed the New Orleans Vampire Community to fill it and bring about an imbalance of power and inequality in New Orleans." Elaborated Marin, but she wasn't done.

"The True Alpha is also aware of the Vampire Faction's activities and crimes against other species, including against their own people, as a result of the other faction's turning a blind eye over two decades ago when the Werewolf Faction tried to put a stop to Lucien Castle and his activities and even continue to do so today.

He's aware of how werewolves are treated in the city and the Human Faction as well as the Witch Faction are essentially second-class citizens while the Vampire Faction is first-class with their lives being protected by Co-King Marcel Gerard's rule of no killing vampires with the punishment of such a deed death or worse.

My alpha recognizes that to put a stop to that and bring peace and balance to New Orleans the New Orleans Werewolf Community needs to return to the city with their leading pack Crescent Wolf Pack freed off the curse placed upon them and stop the ongoing crimes committed by the Vampire Faction." She explained.

Jackson took a few moments to take everything that was said in. Though it was clear that Scott McCall wanted werewolves back in the city, this talk of peace and balance made it quite clear that he wanted humans, werewolves, witches and vampires to all live in the city in peace and harmony, balance. The Kenner didn't see that happening but he was a little curious and maybe interested in hearing more though...

"If I remember correctly, the McCall Pack lives in Beacon Hills and have nothing to do with New Orleans. What would your alpha and pack gain from all this? What do you want in return?" He questioned.

"Those are questions I don't have answers to. Just as I said earlier, our purpose here is to initiate friendly contact with your pack and present a proposal. It's up to you to secure a second friendly contact. If you're interested I suggest that you sent an emissary to Beacon Hills during the month and if things go well maybe you might meet with True Alpha McCall the next full moon." Replied the druid.

The Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack realized that this was just bait, a very good one since Emissary Morrell dangled the fact that True Alpha wanted the Crescent Wolf Pack's curse undone before him. But there was the issue with Scott McCall apparently being in business with Lucien Castle. Jackson supposed there was only one way to find out what that was about.

Before Derek and Marin departed the latter advised the Kenner to keep the fact that they were in contact secret lest things fall apart because of external forces and she left her contacts in case the man wanted to send an emissary to organize the meeting.

Break

With the Hybrid Pack out for the night Rebekah had the house to herself since Greta decided to live at her family house and Klaus wanted everyone to settle in before they announced their arrival the day after the full moon, which was tomorrow.

The vampire girl spent her time leading to tonight following/stalking her love, she couldn't help it, she wanted to see how he was and maybe check out her competition for his love.

One thing she did see was that this Stefan was different from the one she knew back in the 1920s. Rebekah guessed that was how he was when he wasn't a ripper, he was reserved and wasn't looking to make trouble or play with people's lives, especially after he had his powers taken from him.

About his loss of power, she didn't like it at all, she didn't like that he was defenseless and promised to kill whoever did it. Other than that the Mikaelson didn't like the girl that the Salvatore replaced her with, even more so because of who she was.

It seemed like the Mikaelsons were cursed to encounter every single one of Tatia's doppelgangers and have them ruin the siblings' lives somehow. Rebekah didn't know why her brother didn't just kill the damn doppelganger, again.

Break

The McCall Pack was once again in Beacon Hills Preserve, having decided to spend the first few hours of every full moon evening together. They didn't have much time together so the pack wanted to make the most of the time they had left but unlike the last time they were in the woods they had a guest this time, Cora Hale.

Corey, Hayden and Liam caught a roosevelt elk with Malia's assistance over an hour ago and Jordan and Scott were currently busy braaing it while Mason kept the bonfire going with his boyfriend's help.

Lydia was going through some notes with Malia, Hayden and Liam were distracted with their own thing and the Hale girl took the time to observe the McCall Pack just as she has since her arrival. She really liked how Scott ran his pack.

It was the most unconventional pack she knew but Cora could say they were very close to how wild wolf packs functioned. The way she saw it Scott and Malia were the parent pair of the pack and Jordan and Lydia were the uncle and aunt to the children/cubs who were Liam, Hayden, Mason and Corey.

The girl recognized this because that was how her family pack worked. Her mother Talia Hale was part of the parent pair with her father though she was the dominant parent just as Scott was in his pack, the other adult family members like Peter played their part as uncles and aunts to Laura, Derek and Cora and parents to their own children/cubs as part of the pack.

When it came to werewolf hierarchy the dominant parent of the parent pair was the alpha of the pack, the uncles and aunts were the betas and children/cubs omegas. What the Hale girl liked about how the McCall ran his Pack was that he didn't abuse his status like most alpha werewolves did.

He actually gave his pack members a chance to have their voices heard by discussing some things with them before making his final decision. What was even better was that Scott didn't let his pride cloud his judgement, he sought council, which he didn't outright dismiss if he didn't like it and asked for help when needed.

It was obvious to Cora now that Scott McCall was confident in his power and status, he was secure and didn't feel the need to keep reminding everyone who and what he was. There was something about that and the lengths the boy was willing to go to protect his pack that the girl found attractive and...

The Hale stopped the thought before completion, surprised by it. She was most definitely not attracted to Scott McCall and even if she was, she was not, Malia already marked her territory on their first meeting. Whether the werecoyote's territorial growl was intentional or not didn't matter, Lydia's reaction to it made it clear it wasn't a mistake and Cora didn't want to ruin her developing relationship with her cousin.

It was obvious the Tate liked her inner circle small and didn't allow just anyone in it, a trait they shared but the werewolf wanted to know her cousin and add her to hers. Finding out that she wasn't the only Hale left after escaping the fire with aunt Survivor was surreal. Cora left South America despite her being advised not to, that it could be a trap.

With aunt Survivor having died shortly after their arrival in South America there was no way of knowing if the rumors were true but the girl had to know. Three months of being locked inside a vault was worth knowing that she wasn't the only Hale left although she was too angry at the time to really appreciate the survival of her family.

The Hale had a second chance to appreciate one more addition to the surviving Hales and she had every intention of doing just that and wasn't about to ruin it by getting between whatever Malia and Scott had going on.

"Cora." Malia's voice halted Cora's thoughts, earning her attention. "Scott and Jordan are done, time to dish up."

True enough the McCall and Parrish were done and currently sitting down and talking about cars and bikes, the former revealing that he didn't just buy his dirt bike just because of circumstances, he actually liked motorcycles and though he was going to buy himself a car one day he still wanted a motorcycle.

Corey and Mason were resting while Hayden and Liam kept the bonfire going in their place. The Hale got up to assist Lydia and Malia dish up and it didn't take long before conversation started between them, making the girl feel included in the McCall Pack, the McCall Family, for pack was family.

Break

"Calm down, Caroline. I'll be there in a few minutes." Said Bonnie, ending a phone call so that she could change back to her day clothes.

Caroline called to ask for her help in locating and recovering wolf-Tyler who escaped from the Lockwood cellar. The vampire didn't plan on dying anytime soon so she called upon the only person who could help her.

Indeed a few minutes later the Bennett meet with the Forbes and with everything required for a locator spell she quickly found the werewolf but something was strange, he was somewhere in the woods but stationary. There was a chance that he killed a prey or someone and was currently having his fill so the two girls hurried to get to him in time.

What the girls didn't expect when they arrived at wolf-Tyler's position was to find him laying down, bleeding and whimpering in pain, it seemed like he got into a fight and lost quite badly. Bonnie cast a sleeping spell for him to sleep before Caroline carried the he-wolf back to the cellar, glad that Mayor Carol Lockwood wasn't home.

Neither of the girls noticed a pair of yellow eyes watching them from a distance before they disappeared into the woods.

Once at the cellar there was one problem, Tyler was still in wolf form so they couldn't help him with his wounds and the vampire didn't know how he would react if she feed him her blood, in the state he was in she didn't want to risk him reacting violently at tasting vampire blood.

"How do we turn him back?" Asked the Forbes, looking at her witch best friend for answers.

"Hey! Don't look at me. I'm still figuring out how this witch thing works, I know nothing about werewolves." Responded Bonnie, just as lost as her vampire best friend.

"But you do know someone who does." Was Caroline's reply after a quick thought about who could help them.

"Who?" Asked a confused witch.

"Don't act so confused, Bonnie. I know you talk with him every now and then." Said the Forbes but that only seemed to confuse the girl even more, leading the vampire to say his name. "Number eleven, AKA Scott McCall."

That seemed to ring a bell then a question which wasn't verbally asked because Caroline saw it coming and she had an answer ready.

"I came by your house a few weeks ago and overheard you talking with him over the phone." She answered with a shrug, but that was half-truth since after overhearing their conversation she borrowed Bonnie's phone and checked her call history.

With the Bennett making the phone call the Forbes went out to get some more chains just in case, and to get away for a bit from the blood before she loses control.

Break 

Cora faced a couple of questions from Lydia and Mason after they were all done with their meal, one of which the latter was very curious about.

"Since traditional werewolves need to kill to activate their werewolf gene how do born evolved werewolves activate theirs?" Asked the boy.

"Puberty. When we reach puberty our werewolf gene activates but not for all of us. It remains dormant in some of us, making them carriers, while others can activate it before puberty in stressful situations." Answered the Hale, knowing about her cousin's case.

"If..." Scott didn't hear the human's follow up question since his phone vibrated, earning his attention.

He was about to answer it after checking who was calling, Bonnie Bennett, but remembered that he wasn't supposed to be able to answer his phone since it was a full moon tonight and traditional werewolves remained in their wolf forms until morning.

"Answer your phone, Scott." Said a slightly annoyed Malia who wanted me to hear her cousin's replies, she heard the vibration loud and clear since she was sitting next to the boy.

"I can't. It's Bonnie and werewolves can't answer a phone call during the full moon." The McCall explained.

"Since when?" Asked the girl.

"Since Bonnie doesn't know about evolved werewolves." Lydia answered for the True Alpha just as his phone stopped vibrating.

"Who is Bonnie?" Inquired Cora, taking a break from being the one answering questions.

"Some witch Scott and Liam met in Mystic Falls a while ago and Scott slept with." Answered Malia.

"I didn't sleep with her!" Refuted the McCall.

"So you keep saying." Commented the banshee before the tribrid's phone vibrated again with Bonnie's name on display. "Since you can't answer it and she won't stop calling, how about I answer it for you?"

After a moment of thought the True Alpha gave the phone to Jordan who was between him and Lydia and passed it on to her.

"Hey, Scott! I..." Greeted Bonnie, before she was interrupted.

"Scott is not available, sweetheart." Said Lydia.

"Um, OK... Uh, could you please tell him to call me? I need his help with Tyler." Responded the witch.

"What's wrong with Tyler?" Questioned the banshee, concerned about her cousin.

They haven't been in contact for long but he was her family regardless of whatever happened between their parents. The Pack paid more attention to the conversation at their fellow pack mate's concerned tone.

"Sorry, who are you?" Inquired the Bennett, noting the concern of the girl who answered Scott's phone. 

"I'm a friend of Scott's, obviously. Or else he wouldn't have left his phone with me." Sassed the Martin, a little impatient. "Now tell me what's wrong with Tyler."

"Not to be rude or anything, but I don't know you so who are you really?" Bonnie pressed, not familiar with any of Scott's friends apart from Liam who would be concerned about Tyler.

"I'm Lydia Martin. Ask Tyler who I am later, for now tell me what's wrong with him and I might be able to help." Replied Lydia, doubting the boy told his friends about his discovery concerning his maternal family.

Bonnie contemplated telling the girl who identified herself as Lydia or not. On one hand she didn't know her and on the other Scott trusted her enough to leave his phone with her and she sounded concerned about Tyler.

"Do you know about... You know?" She asked to test whether Lydia Martin knew about the supernatural.

"Know wha-Oh! The supernatural?" Responded the banshee, getting a positive answer. "You have no idea. I know Tyler is a werewolf just as I know you're a witch so..."

The Bennett was glad the Martin knew but wondered what the girl's comment about having no idea was about. Other than that she was surprised that Scott told her about her witch status and Tyler's werewolf status, but then again, the girl had the McCall's phone.

"OK..." Said Bonnie, processing all that before continuing. "Uh, Tyler escaped from the cellar a little while ago and went to the woods, we found him there a few minutes ago in a bad shape. It looks like he was in a fight and lost badly but we can't help him while he's in his wolf form so..."

"You want to know how you can get him to shape-shift back to human form." Concluded Lydia, wondering about the supposed fight. "You can't. Traditional werewolves remain in their wolf forms until dawn. Usually. But let me try something. Bring your phone to Tyler's ear."

"Oh. Usually?" The Bennett filed the information before becoming skeptic. "How would that help?"

"Just trust me. Bring your phone to his ear and I'll take care of the rest." Said the banshee.

The McCall Pack realized that she intended to make Tyler take human form by calling him by his given name the same way she did Mason to save him and exorcise Sebastien Valet from him.

Since Bonnie didn't know what else to do and Tyler might bleed to death the girl did as Lydia asked, though she made sure to put the phone on loudspeaker and distanced it a bit from the werewolf's ear.

Break

Caroline was just coming back from getting a new chain and strengthen her will over her blood thirst when she heard an echoey female voice repeatedly call Tyler's name from the cellar. Coming into view she saw Bonnie with her phone over the werewolf's ear, the voice coming from the phone and not even a moment later the Lockwood startled awake before he began to shift into human form.

His pained growls turned to human screams as his bones broke and repaired and his muscles tore and repaired until a blood covered human teenage boy took the place of a blood covered wolf, with multiple bite marks visible on his body including a nasty one on his neck.

"Tyler, are you OK?" Asked the voice from the phone after the Lockwood's screams quieted down.

"Lydia?" Inquired a confused Tyler, right before he lost consciousness.

"What just happened? Whose that on the phone?" Questioned an equally confused vampire.

"He just passed out but I think he'll be alright, just have to cover his wounds, and maybe get him a blood transfusion." Bonnie informed Lydia, ignoring her friend's questions though she too was filled with questions. "Thanks, uh, Lydia."

"Tell him to call me when he wakes up." Said Lydia before ending the phone call, leaving the Bennett with questions and if the look on the Forbes' face said anything, she wasn't alone.

Break

With the phone call taken care of Scott got his phone back before reassuring Lydia that Tyler would be alright and in good hands. Since he got to know Tyler and Bonnie over the last two months the True Alpha realized that they might not be the people he thought they were from the impression Stefan and Greta gave him.

Bonnie was actually a nice girl who was a witch by birth though she didn't initially know that. She loved her friends and was willing to do just about anything to keep them safe and though she wasn't that close to Tyler Scott knew she would make sure that he recovered.

When Lydia revealed that Tyler was her cousin she just recently found out about in response to Cora's inquiry the Hale girl and Malia shared a look. They too didn't initially know about each other but now they did and were grateful they were together, only Derek was missing. And Peter though they ignored his existence.

Break

After leaving the Bayou Marin and Derek entered the city for their second and last mission in New Orleans, meeting with Chris Argent and the mysterious Raven1. As much as the druid wanted to know Raven1's identity she was told that she would meet him in New Orleans when he passes over something meant for Scott to her and her werewolf companion.

Since they didn't want to be discovered the plan was for them to meet at a place Raven1 was sure wasn't monitored and could be easily defended if required with escape routes available. That ideal place turned out to be a warehouse Lucien used to own and the McCall gave the meeting parties it's coordinates.

Chris was already there when Marin and Derek arrived but there wasn't any sign of their 'host' anywhere. Just as that thought crossed their minds a raven's croaking call came from inside the warehouse, gaining their attention. It was only then that they saw an open door leading inside and followed it.

Raven1 watched as the three entered the warehouse and looked around for him before he announced himself after making sure they weren't followed though he made sure to have a few birds maintained vigilance of the area. 

The druid, human and werewolf suddenly saw a black bird appear from above the entrance they used to enter and watched as it landed atop a black briefcase that was placed on top of a crate. They exchanged perplexed looks, for neither of them had met the ravens that were Belasko.

They waited to see if a man would follow the bird's entrance but none came, instead they received another croak call from the bird.

"Did Scott send us to meet a bird?" Asked a puzzled Derek, looking at the black bird that made a motion for one of them to approach it.

"I think so." Replied Marin slowly, feeling a bit disappointed though... "And it's not just a bird, it's a raven."

"So Raven1 isn't just a code name but an actual name." Said Chris, just as puzzled as his fellow male.

"Interesting." The druid said more to herself than her companions when she subtly tried to see if she could connect with and influence the raven, she wasn't able to.

It seemed like it wasn't a normal raven but since it didn't react violently to her, just stared her down in disapproval, weird, the woman decided to be the braver of the trio since the men were just kept staring at the bird as though answers would appear if they stared at it long enough.

"Are you Raven1?" She asked once close enough, gaining weird looks from Chris and Derek.

If they thought the Morrell talking to a bird was strange, they found an even stranger occurrence when said bird responded with a nod before tapping it's talon on the briefcase it stood upon then moved of it to allow the woman to pick it up. When she did pick it up she discovered a note addressed to her and her companions, she picked it up too and read it aloud.

"It reads "Dear C, D and M, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Raven1, the leader of the unkindness that serves the T A. My job here, apart from giving you the briefcase, is to watch over you. The note that you hold has your accommodation details on the other side. Welcome to Warehouse Raven. Raven1. PS He will answer your questions later, for now focus on what is at hand."" Read Marin.

Sure enough when she turned around the note she found the accommodation details. Raven1 flew over to the tallest of the crates to get a better view for his watch, having decided against telling the druid, human and werewolf about the additional security.

Chris, Derek and Marin took a few moments to themselves before they proceeded with their purpose there. The Argent briefed the Hale and Morrell on his findings from Vampire2 and Vampire1 who finally cracked and proved to hold far more information than Vampire2.

Chris found out that he couldn't go around New Orleans looking for information because of Lucien and Marcel's informants, including those of the other factions, so he had to get his information from the vampires he caught and then quietly check if it was correct. So far it was mostly correct.

A while into the briefing one of the birds Raven1 had under his control noticed a bird that was flying low suddenly collide with something before it fell though there wasn't anything there to collide with. That prompted the raven to send the bird to investigate, and it didn't take long before the bird found the obstacle, a glamoured car.

It seemed like they had an uninvited guest, a skilled witch at that. Raven1 contemplated how to deal with the witch. There was no way he could let the witch go, not with the kind of information Marin, Chris and Derek were discussing and who knew what else he or she knew?

Break

After the Crescent Wolf Pack made sure Emissary Morrell and her guard left the Bayou Jackson met with his inner circle to discuss the matters at hand and make a decision whether or not he would send an emissary to Beacon Hills. But there was something that troubled the Crescent Wolf Pack.

When Male1 and Female1 found Emissary Morrell and her guard they found them heading straight to their houses deep into the Bayou, they were actually almost there. The scents that they followed didn't show any wrong turns, it was clear they knew where they were going.

That truly troubled Jackson and raised a lot of questions concerning the McCall Pack and how they knew the heart of their territory.


	21. Chapter 21

Hunting ordinary animals was fun, but hunting a superior animal to ordinary ones was even better. That, the Hybrid Pack discovered after taking out Tyler Lockwood in his wolf form. They found him while out in the woods and Klaus wanted to give the locals a little 'gift' before tomorrow. The byproduct of that was seeing how Bonnie has developed magic wise.

Since Greta lost her magic she couldn't keep much of an eye on the Bennett girl but it appeared she was coming alright, adding a little bit of finesse to the raw power of her magic. She reminded the hybrid of Ayana although the girl lacked her grace which came with age. The man pushed the thought out of his mind, catching up with his pack after staying to find out who would come for the Lockwood.

Break

The plan was to live a normal life, a life outside the coven, having nothing to do with New Orleans Supernatural Community but the world had other plans for Vincent Griffith. Not so long ago Vincent, a male witch and a former member of the Treme Coven of New Orleans came upon a sight of a vampire stalking a male human before attempting to feed on him. 

Getting close to the human proved to be a bad idea for the vampire because he found a surge of electricity running through him from an obviously customized stan baton followed by a blow to the head that took him out. Before the witch could process what was going on another vampire seemed to have noticed his fellow vampire taken down and came to his rescue.

The end result was two unconscious vampires and a victorious human who was a bit bitten up but well, gaining Vincent's attention. It wasn't a common sight to see a human take out vampires but what was even more interesting was that the human immediately took the unconscious vampires into his car and drove away, and one thought came to the witch's mind: hunter.

He couldn't remember there being a hunter in New Orleans, apart from those that hunted werewolves for Lucien, especially one who was brave enough to capture vampires in New Orleans. The Griffith stepped out of his hiding place and since then curiosity has had its claws deep in him and he has been stalking the human hunter ever since.

Every chance he had the man followed the human, tracking him with a locator spell that he had locked on the blood spilled from the hunter during his struggle with the second vampire. Vincent found himself going as far as protecting the human hunter he found out was Christopher Argent from a family of mainly werewolf hunters from being discovered.

He didn't know why he followed the Argent in the first place nor why he kept on doing it and magically hiding the man from being discovered by the Vampire Faction and the witches that were at their disposal. His plan was to live a normal-ish simple life after what happened with his wif-former wife Eva Sinclair but something told him to stay on his current course and he did.

Usually Christopher Argent spent most his time interrogating the two vampires he just killed recently and verifying the information they gave him before making a phone call to a Scott whom he gave a full report of his findings but just a few days ago Vincent overhead the man making plans for a meeting with his allies, the first ever the male witch has overhead.

Though Vincent learned a lot from eavesdropping on the Argent the meeting was the first time he learned more about the man and his allies, and with his trusty Illusionary Cloaking Spell the Griffith has used regularly since discovery the hunter he successfully followed said hunter once again and was currently listening in on the private meeting.

The Argent revealed all that he found out and from the sound of paper he even had maps for all the places Vampire1 and Vampire2 associated with their faction and leaders to the best of their knowledge including names of some of their fellow vampires especially those who were close to Lucien and Marcel and their stations.

In a few cases Christopher, whom his allies either called Chris or Argent, even had blueprints of some of the properties that were of most interest for them, surprising Vincent. It seemed like all the times he wasn't there to spy on the hunter said hunter was still busy.

By the time the meeting was over the witch was more than a little tired from standing in one place eavesdropping but with the information he got including two more names, Derek and Marin, to Chris' allies, not counting the well trained bird Scott sent, it was worth it.

Just as he was about to leave the hunter asked Derek and Marin how their meeting with the werewolves went, stopping the Griffith in his tracks.

"As well as expected." Marin was the one to answer, but her answer wasn't much of an answer.

Vincent decided to leave since she didn't continue and he heard them putting everything away, wondering what to do with everything he knew. His first thought was to tell his coven elder but he no longer had a coven, his second thought was to tell the Regent but there was a chance she would alert the vampires of the attack that was heading their way.

Though Witch Regent Josephine LaRue was reasonable and no friend of vampires there was a chance that she would tell Marcel about the coming attack if Vincent tells her in order to secure the employment of the witches that worked for Lucien and their lives.

It was no secret that the Werewolf Faction, especially the Crescent Wolf Pack, hated the Witch Faction for helping the Vampire Faction get rid of werewolves from the city over two decades ago and turning a blind eye while their people were being kidnapped and they, the werewolves, wouldn't miss a chance for payback.

The witch without a coven knew that very well and since he assumed Marin, Derek and Scott were human like Chris it made sense to him that they would seek an alliance with werewolves. While vampires were first class citizens and witches and humans were essentially second it went without saying that humans were more like third.

Far too few humans were aware of the existence of the supernatural community and that was a disadvantage on them, more so with an abundance of vampires that lived in New Orleans and saw humans as nothing but food source with a few exceptions and constant supply of candidates to be made vampires and added to their ever growing army.

Priest Kieran O'Connell was the leader of the Human Faction and he was their voice but really, a lot of his fellow Human Council members were corrupt and Marcel, Lucien and Josephine held more power overall. His saving grace was that he held a few key secrets of Marcel that gave his voice some weight in their give-and-take alliance.

It was just a matter of time before other humans in the know got tired of the way their kind was treated and did something about it, and enlisting the help of the exiled werewolves was one way to ensure vampires would feel the maximum effect of their surprise attack, more so there being vampires who had no experience with werewolves.

Vincent Griffith didn't want to ruin the surprise heading the Vampire Faction's way but he wasn't going to turn a blind eye and have innocent witches killed in the process either, he couldn't let that happen. The problem was that no matter who he told in the Witch Faction they was a chance that the Vampire Faction would learn of the attack.

There seemed to be no way that he could save his people without exposing the attack, unless... Unless he allied himself with Christopher Argent and his allies and corrected the Witch Faction's two decade long mistake.

Just as that thought crossed Vincent's mind and he opened his vehicle's driver side door to think more on that, he was suddenly heard a croaking call just behind him that caused him to lose his concentration on the Illusionary Cloaking Spell and reveal himself.

He naturally turned around only to come face to face with a black bird, a raven, and made the mistake of locking his eyes with its own.

Break

Lucien could not believe there was someone out there in New Orleans that evaded his and Marcel's efforts to find him or her or maybe them to the point that he had to call in his very best. He truly... A knock at his door at his home office brought the vampire's thoughts to a halt though he already knew who it was.

"Do come in, Sofya." He called aloud, and in came Sofya Voronova. "Looking lovely as..."

"Cut the compliments, Lucien. They aren't going to lessen my fee." Interrupted the lady, sitting down across from her fellow vampire.

"Oh, I know. Your love for money is only rivaled by your hate for Klaus Mikaelson." Responded Lucien, pouring a glass of red wine for Sofya before offering it to her.

"What do you need my help with?" She inquired, accepting the glass of wine.

"I'm having problems finding out what happened to two of Marcel's vampires that disappeared a while ago. One of them, Vampire2, worked for me before disappearing." Replied Lucien, leaning back into his chair. "I want you to find whoever is responsible for their disappearance and bring them to me before the Faction party, a little over a month from now.

The Human and Witch Factions need a reminder of who rules this city before they get any ideas."

Break

Just as Marin, Derek and Chris were about to leave Warehouse Raven a man entered the building with a raven atop his shoulder, causing Chris to pull out his gun and Derek to instinctively shield Marin.

"Calm down, C, D and M. I'm Raven1, the raven on the shoulder. If you look into the man's eyes you'll see that they are like mine, signifying that I'm possessing him. I temporarily possessed someone else to bring the briefcase here and write the note M read. If you do not believe me call the T A for confirmation." Said Raven1, maintain a good distance to keep things calm.

While the human and werewolf kept their eyes on Raven1 the druid made the call to Scott who confirmed that indeed Raven1 could possess people and she shared the response with her allies. 

"Now that's out of the way..." The raven explained how he came upon Vincent and that he was a witch.

Break

Since Greta hasn't found the witch responsible for taking her magic away she was busy looking for an alternative and regain her magic, but things weren't working out. She found herself missing her late father and brother more intensely than usual.

Life without magic was getting to the Martin more than she thought it would. She found herself needing some friendly company and there was only one person who could offer it, Rebekah Mikaelson, her only girlfriend.

Break

After everything was settled with Lucien Sofya left the man's place and went to Rousseau's with hope in her heart. She hoped that the disappearance of Vampire1 and Vampire2 was caused by the McCall Pack, she just had to wait a little while to see if it was them or not.

Break

When Vincent regained consciousness and control over his body he found himself tied to a chair, confused about how he got there as he just remembered being about to enter his car, no memory of the raven or it's croaking call. He...

"Vincent Griffith, is it?" He suddenly heard a familiar voice ask, a voice that belonged to the hunter he has been spying on for a while now, Christopher Argent.

The voice woke up the witch instantly and though he was still confused he realized his situation quickly. He was in the hands of the man he has watched interrogate two vampires until they revealed the information he wanted and although it was obvious the human didn't enjoy it he was definitely skilled. This spelled back news for the Griffith and he knew it.

"Before you waste your time trying to cast a spell or two to get out of this, you are not going to be able to, even if I remove that cloth from your mouth." Revealed Chris, walking around his captive in a dark room deeper into Warehouse Raven. "You have two options: to tell me everything I want to know willingly or for me to extract it from you forcefully."

The Argent then stood in front of Vincent and pulled out a blowtorch from a tools box braids him, causing the witch to become even more alarmed that he was a moment before.

"Don't become so alarmed, Vincent. I'm not going to use it, unless you don't give me the answers I want and you lie to me. Nod your head if you understand and shake it if you don't." Said the human, getting a nod in return. "Good. We're off to a good start."

Break

On the other room, just opposite the one Chris was conducting his interrogation sat Derek and Marin and they were both going through some of the things they found on Vincent's person and car, including his wallet and a diary filled with what he, Vincent, found out while spying on Chris which included some of the things the human told them and Scott's name.

It appeared the man had been listening in then writing down his findings while his memory was still fresh so that he didn't forget. Neither the druid nor the werewolf blamed the Argent for not go finding out that he was being followed and spied on, not when the witch used a spell that made sure he wasn't noticed.

And if it wasn't for Raven1 and chance they wouldn't have found out about the spy and the whole Pack and attack would have been compromised without them knowing until it was too late. The whole thing was a wake up call, letting them remember that they couldn't control every variable. The risks they were taking were real.

"What's your full name?" Derek overheard Chris ask, assuming he took off the cloth.

His job was to help Marin with checking Vincent's belongings and listening to the witch's heart during the interrogation in order to identify lies.

"Vincent Griffith." Replied the Griffith. "And I can help you."

"Yes. You can, and you will by telling me what I want to know." Responded Chris. "Which coven do you belong to?"

There was a pause on Vincent's part, probably for contemplation but Chris didn't give him much time before he lit the blowtorch, speeding up the process.

"I don't belong to any." Answered the witch, surprising Derek when he heard the man's heart signaling that he wasn't lying. "I left my coven and anything supernatural sometime ago for personal reasons and..."

"And somehow you found yourself spying on me?" Chris interrupted with a question, clearly not amused.

"I wasn... (sigh) Look, I can help you take down the Vampire Faction. I might not be a member of a coven anymore but I can correct the mistakes of my faction and help you with your cause." Responded Vincent, giving up on defending himself as he likely realized that it was no use so he changed direction.

"Do you really expect me to believe you? To believe the man that says he left his coven and anything supernatural and yet still spies on me?" Questioned the Argent. "Why would I even consider..."

"Because if it wasn't for me you would have already been discovered. I have been keeping you hidden from Lucien and Marcel's efforts to find you and the vampires you captured for sometime now." Interrupted the Griffith, giving reasons why. "I haven't alerted any of the factions about your plans nor told anyone about them. 

I was thinking about approaching you with a proposal to ally myself with you to make sure innocent witches don't suffer the same fate you have planned for Lucien Castle.

This might be the only chance to bring down the Vampire Faction but it could also be the last chance a witch has to correct the mistakes that were made more than twenty years ago; turning a blind eye to what the vampires were and are doing and siding with them instead of fighting against."

Silence reigned after that for a few moments before Derek heard Chris turn of the blowtorch and leave the room, heading for theirs.

"What do you think?" Was the older man's question upon entering the room, looking at his former enemy.

"He's telling the truth." Answered the Hale. "Or he's a good liar."

Break

Tyler woke up to find himself in his bedroom with a few bandages all over his body. He was confused for a moment before all that happened came to the forefront of his mind. Six wolves, one of which, a lighter shade of brown and seemed to be in charge, went for his neck while...

"You're awake." Came Caroline's voice, interrupting his thoughts as she came in.

"How...?"

"Bonnie helped me find you and she called Scott to help get you to turn back to your human form but some girl answered his phone instead." Interrupted the girl, giving the boy a glass of water. "Does Lydia Martin ring a bell?"

"She's my cousin." Replied Tyler, then took a sip of the water before gulping down the rest.

"Your cousin?" Questioned a surprised Forbes.

"Yeah. She's part of Scott's Pa..." Tyler realized what he had too late and the look on his vampire friend's face said it too. "This needs to stay between us, Caroline."

"So you do have a cousin?" Inquired the girl. 

"It's... Complicated." Said the boy

"We have all night, Tyler." Was the response he got.

Break

On another part of Mystic Falls Rebekah welcomed Greta who called before going to the mansion, giving the vampire girl time to organize everything they would need for a sleepover.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Asked the witch girl, accepting a glass of red wine from the older girl while they settled down for a movie.

"Whether or not I'm ready doesn't matter, Stefan's decision does." Replied the vampire, then changed the subject. "How is your quest to reclaim your magic going?"

"Argh! I haven't had any success. I need to find the witch who has my magic under lock and take it back." Answered Greta, her frustration clear. "I feel powerless without it, vulnerable and I don't like feeling weak, being weak."

"You know, I never got to tap into my magic as a witch, before becoming a vampire. I wish I had." Said Rebekah, recalling the days long past.

"How was life back then?" Asked a curious Martin, taking a sip of her wine.

"It was... Not the easiest. But it was a time my family was closest and living a normal life, uncomplicated and untainted by hundreds of years." Answered the Mikaelson, reminiscing. "The world was without vampires, but witches and werewolves walked the earth amongst other supernatural creatures that we had no idea existed. Life was just life."

Greta got the sense that there was more but accepted her friend's answer. She knew by now that Rebekah enjoyed the simplest things in life the most. The vampire wasn't after power like Klaus, a normal life, or at least semi-normal life was what she sought. The problem was that that life was probably far more difficult to have than power for people like them.

Once touched by the supernatural world it sucked you in with no intention of letting go. The harder you fought to get out the deeper it drew you in. That was the life they all lived. The girl moved to lighter topics after that, like why isn't Greta dating anyone yet.

Break

While the girls moved to lighter conversation Scott McCall and his allies were having a serious one, one that was probably a matter of life and death. Marin, Derek and Chris had just given their report on a spy Raven1 caught and he was once again left with making the difficult decision.

The boy knew that if he declined Vincent Griffith's proposal for an alliance he would be signing the man's death warrant. Derek never bothered to learn the werewolf mind melding ritual which meant they couldn't erase all that Vincent knew and though Scott could teach him over the phone they could use someone of the witch's skill, but there were risks.

Yes, the witch helped keep Chris hidden but Theo saved Liam and Hayden to earn a place in the McCall Pack. The True Alpha wasn't interested in having a repeat of the past, not when Lydia almost died and he did die, for the second time.

'What do you think, Raven1?' He asked his familiar.

'We have information on vampires and werewolves with the latter as potential allies and we've involved humans in the plan, why not include a witch? Vincent says he wants to correct the mistake the Witch Faction made, if he really wants to he'll have to share some information about the Witch Faction and it's covens.

The problem is making sure that he doesn't betray us.' Answered the raven, watching Vincent though he wasn't aware.

"Scott?" Marin's voice pulled the McCall from the mental conversation.

"Still here." Said Scott, before he sent a thank you to his familiar and turned his attention to the phone call. "What do you think are the chances that Vincent could betray us?"

"I think this is a personal thing for him." Derek answered, earning everyone's attention. "When he talked about this being the last chance a witch might have to correct their mistakes, especially about them turning a blind eye, there was something in his tone; guilt. It was barely noticeable but it was there, along with hints of self-hatred and bitterness."

"Leaving one's coven is a very big deal for witches." Began Marin, thinking about the possibilities. "Something must have happened that caused Vincent to leave his and distance himself from the supernatural community, until he encountered you, Chris.

It's possible that he sees our attack on the Vampire Faction as not only salvation for the Witch Faction but also for himself if he allies himself to us."

Something told her Vincent's ring on his ring finger and the woman on the photos they found in his wallet had something to do with the guilt Derek detected. Everything indicated that he lived alone now but the ring and pictures said that at one point he was married and she said as much to the others.

Chris was also of the same mind, that was actually what had him stop and seek Derek's take on what the witch said, more so the guilt but didn't outright say it. It reminded the Argent of his own guilt and why he wasn't a hunter anymore. Araya Calavera might have gotten him to say the Hunter Code and agree to help her "hunt" his younger sister Katherine "Kate" Argent but...

She didn't understand, he was no longer a hunter, he was a protector. That was the legacy the last Argent matriarch and his daughter Allison Argent left and he was going to honour it to his dying breath. And even then Allison's Protector Code and legacy would live on through her surviving friends. That was what was keeping Chris Argent going.

All the guilt and despair that weighed heavy on his shoulders were kept at bay by Allison's voice telling him that she loved him, that she was proud of him, of them. When she died they weren't hunters, they were protectors and every single day the Argent spent in New Orleans was a day closer to protecting those who cannot protect themselves.

There were dangers, that he knew just as well as he knew Scott was going to see through the mission even if he had to do it by himself. From the moment Gerard placed a gun in his hand Chris knew there would always be dangers and risks but they were worth making the world a better place for they protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Derek was right, something about their cause was personal for Vincent Griffith, and Marin was right too, the man's ring and the woman on the pictures they found in his wallet had something to do with that.

From one man to another, Chris could sympathize with Vincent even though he didn't know the full story, he too left the hunter world and everything supernatural, with his daughter, but the protector in him refused to turn a blind eye, not again. It didn't hurt the man helped keep him undiscovered and safe even if he spied on him but...

"The odds are pretty much fifty-fifty." Began the Argent, trying to even the scales and hoped Scott didn't make his final decision based on Vincent keeping him hidden and essentially saving his life. "If this is personal for Vincent then he could be more of a dangerous wild card than an asset, especially since he knows so much about our plans.

It doesn't look like he has much to lose but we do have a lot to lose. A surprise attack works in our favour which is why we haven't included anyone from the Witch Faction. They were the deciding factor two decades ago and it seems they're content with the side they chose.

With that said, Vincent might want to correct their mistakes like he said or he might be looking for a way to be accepted back into his coven."

Scott McCall took in what was said before...

Break

The waiting has always been the worst part of every situation, especially when one wasn't sure what to expect and odds were against. The waiting was currently getting to Vincent Griffith and the painful truth was that he had no one to worry about him if he suddenly disappeared after cutting off his ties to everyone.

Yes, Chris didn't particularly enjoy torturing Vampire1 and Vampire2 or even killing them, but he sure was determined to do what was necessary for his cause, for Scott McCall's cause. That meant if the human had to kill him he would, even if he saved his life by keeping him hidden, that man's resolve was truly something.

To keep his mind from thinking about the Argent's resolve to kill him Vincent turned his thoughts on what had been troubling him, his inability to access his magic and cast spells, not even none verbal ones. It really troubled him... That thought was halted when the door to the room opened and Chris returned, but he wasn't alone this time, two people were with him. 

Neither of them said anything although the Argent placed a crate in front of Vincent before placing his phone on it and backed away to stand watch with his companions.

"Vincent Griffith?" Came a male voice from the phone on loudspeaker.

"Who are you?" Asked Vincent for confirmation.

"You already know who I am." Replied the male the witch suspected to be Scott. "What would you do if you were in my position and I was in yours?"

Now that was not an easy question to answer and the Griffith had a feeling his life depended on it. He looked over to the others and found them just staring at him stoically. Well, the males were stoic and the female indifferent, not giving Vincent much inspiration.

"I'd like to say that I would give you the benefit of the doubt but we both know I would be lying." Said the witch. "So I'll say what I think a good leader would do, I would do what would be best for my people."

"And what is best for your people?" Came the follow up.

"For you to let me live and join your cause. Just as you're doing this for the Human Faction, even if it's behind Priest O'Connell's back, I want to join you and do it for the Witch Faction, even though it's behind Regent LaRue's back because I know I'm not the only witch who is tired of standing by and letting the vampires treat us as they are." Responded the Griffith.

"And this is where we differ, our cause is not for the Human Faction." Said Scott, surprising Vincent. "If you truly want to correct the Witch Faction's mistakes start with the way you think, start looking at this faction philosophy, see what it has done. When it started it was probably to help govern the New Orleans supernatural community better but as time went on... 

As time went on it started to become a dividing factor and with each generation the divide grew larger, so large that you no longer thought about the whole picture but yourselves and because of that you lost a part of your biodiversity in the form of werewolves and that led to where we are right now, New Orleans being overpopulated by vampires.

With that in mind I'll do everything I can to ensure no innocent people are harmed, including your fellow witches. And in return for making sure one of my own remained undiscovered you're free to leave, just keep what you know to yourself and stay out of our way, balance will be restored in New Orleans soon enough.

Like you said, a leader does what is best for his or her people. Know that if you lied about what you told us or decide to reveal what you know about us and our plans to anyone and bring harm to my people in any way, shape or form, I will find you, alive or dead, death is not beyond my reach, and when I do..."

The True Alpha left the threat hanging and disconnected the call, already giving orders to a certain raven.

"You may be free to leave, but most of your things aren't." Said Chris, freeing Vincent while Derek collected the things the witch was allowed to keep.

In the meantime Marin subtly removed the suppressing druid spell she got her older brother to teach her, pleased with her decision to become Malia's primary emissary and Scott's secondary.


	22. Chapter 22

The Hybrid Pack arrived late into the night, past midnight, at home and each member was tired and wanted nothing but to sleep and that's exactly what they did, except Klaus, at least for a few more minutes.

He went to see his sister and found her fast asleep on the floor atop a blanket and a few pillows with Greta, and all around them were snacks and a half empty bottle of wine with two wine glasses just as half empty but thankfully no wine was spilled.

The man took a moment to just take the scene in while at the door, more so how relaxed his younger half sister was. It appeared Rebekah was genuinely trying to make a friend out of the Martin, a rare occurrence due to past betrayals and rejections.

Oh, the female Mikaelson loved too easily but the same couldn't be said about trust and while love might blind her she didn't react well when she starts seeing people's true colors. She could be quite mean when angered, betrayed and wronged, Tony, Klaus' fourth and late hybrid, was a perfect example of that.

But when friendship turned out to be genuine on both sides Rebekah was very protective, it was just a pity that when that rare genuine friendship occurred Elijah, Niklaus or Kol would kill her friend or ruin the friendship somehow, but she was no exception when it came to them either.

Their family was destructive at worst and dysfunctional at best, but only they could destroy each other, no one else. But there was no need for that right now, the Original Hybrid really hoped Stefan Salvatore would choose wisely. Klaus quietly entered the bedroom and carefully put both Greta and Rebekah to bed, glad they were already in sleepwear.

Then he picked up the mess they left and headed for the kitchen where he proceeded to have a glass of their red wine in silence. He wasn't much of a red wine fan, he preferred white in wines but whiskey in alcohol overall, but he didn't mind a glass or two every now and then.

Today was the day Klaus announced his return and he had a celebration planned, a party later at the mansion and a certain group of friends was going to attend even though they didn't know it yet nor would they find out who the host was until the big reveal.

Right now the man was too happy with how the pack hunt went and wanted to rest for a few hours, but after he finishes his glass of wine.

Break

While Niklaus Mikaelson finally slept Vincent Griffith was still awake, having trouble sleeping. How could he when there was so much on his mind? It was amazing what just one conversation could do. Vampire overpopulation. Balance. It sounded like there was more to Scott's group's goals than Vincent original thought.

It wasn't just a plain fight back against the Vampire Faction, it was about restoring balance between the factions. The witch was starting to realize that Lucien was the primary target for more than one reason, one of which was that he was the most powerful and oldest vampire in New Orleans and by taking him down the Vampire Faction would suffer a great loss.

With the Castle's death the vampires would be left with only one leader, one that some, including Lucien's right-hand Gregory, wouldn't be too keen to follow and might even suspect of arranging to have his co-leader killed and result in infighting, giving the Werewolf Faction time to reestablish and reclaim their place in New Orleans and amongst the other factions.

On the other hand Lucien's projects would grumble and though there would be losses the benefits outweighed them in the medium and long run. The longer Vincent thought about it the more he began to see the bigger picture and he couldn't sit back and wait for change, not when he could help usher in the new era and make the transition a little bit smoother.

For some reason the Griffith found himself without a doubt that the 'coup' would be a success. A lot of lives depended on it even if few knew it.

Break

'Dear Diary, today feels like any other normal day and I can't wait to live it. It seems Alaric's efforts are paying out more than I thought because lately the first thing on my mind in the morning is Stefan instead of wondering if my friends and I will be alive by the end of the day. Talking about Stefan, I...'

"Knock-knock."

Alaric's voice and knocking interrupted the girl writing her morning diary entry, earning her attention.

"Come in." Elena granted the man entry, putting her diary away.

"Good morning." Greeted the Saltzman.

"Morning."

"Uh, I just received a call to step in for Mr Cho and attend the vice principal workshop in his place." He revealed, and it was quite clear that he was still processing the news.

"Does that mean the won't be History class today?" Inquired the Gilbert.

"It means if I accept I'll be out of town for the next two days." Replied the man.

"Oh-Wait. If you accept?"

"If I accept. Mr Cho was supposed to be at the workshop in four hours but something came up so he suggested I replace him. I'm not obligated to attend the workshop and I don't want to ruin the momentum we've built here..." Explained Alaric, motioning between him and his ward.

"You can't stop living your life for me, Ric. And it's just a few days, a few days that could open doors for you, for your career." Said Elena, knowing that he probably wanted to attend the workshop and just needed a little push. "I don't think Mr Cho chose you to replace him at random, maybe he sees a future vice principal so just accept and go.

I'll be alright by myself for a few days and I promise not to throw a party in your absence."

The Saltzman looked at the girl for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, but expect Sheriff Forbes to make random visits to the house." He said while backing out, getting an "are you real?" look from Elena. "Oh, and I'm sure there will be a substitute for History class so..."

There went the Gilbert's hope for a few period. She still had a few minutes before getting ready for school so she finished her diary entry then got ready with Alaric heading out.

Break

Priest Kieran O'Connell received a call from a friend of his working at the FBI office in New Orleans to inform him about quiet investigations being conducted on Lucien Castle, his associates and Kingmaker Land Development ranging from identify theft, fraud, kidnapping, human trafficking, illegal experimentation and murder amongst others.

The fact that there were quiet investigations meant they were mostly being conducted by external agents, FBI agents from outside New Orleans and other related law enforcement agencies, it was just luck that the priest's friend happened to be one of the few that had to know about the investigations. 

Now the question was whether to tell Lucien and Marcel. Kieran knew that there was no way they could stop the investigation, not when the agents working on it were unknown and there were multiple agencies involved. A little voice told him that it was about time, it sounded oddly like his own. 

The corrupt members of the Human Faction, it's council, always stood in the way of the law when it turned it's eyes in Kingmaker Land Development's way and all involved because some of them were shareholders and investors. It always got on the human's nerve though he too had dealings with Marcel... And Lucien, but his dealings with the vampires were mostly for the good of humans. 

But if he told them about the investigations the Castle's front company would continue as would his inhumane experiments and other projects as they would surely try their best to cover their tracks. The O'Connell was getting tired of supernaturals doing as they pleased and never get punished for their crimes and sins, more so after Marcel declined helping him with an important issue.

Kieran and Marcel had an agreement to protect the young but when the former asked the latter to help stop the Witch Faction's sacrificial ritual and save the four teenage girls they called the Harvest Witches, the man refused. Those girls, Cassie, Davina Claire, Abigail and Monique Deveraux, were revived as the witches said they would but...

The priest halted those thoughts because Marcel backed out of their deal when he was the one asking for help, those children didn't need to die in the first place. They were just kids, high school learners in their senior year. If power meant more than his word the Gerard was going to have to face the music without preparations along with his partner Lucien.

It wasn't the first time Marcel agreed to do something and then never do it with the excuse being Lucien's doing but enough was enough.

Priest O'Connell hoped the investigations result in arrests and closure of Kingmaker Land Development, and since the vampires weren't likely to allow themselves to be arrested, the human prayed they be made public enemies with their faces all over the media worldwide.

That actually gave Kieran an idea. It was time that he did something to put a stop to Lucien's inhumane activities. It was obvious vampires didn't want to live with everyone else in peace, they wanted to rule them and they have for decades now, but no more.

Their downfall was coming and it would be brought about by humans; the law enforcement agencies and a priest who has turned a blind eye to evil for too long. St. Anne's Church was once a sanctuary, the heart of the neighborhood before the massacre and it would be once again.

Priest Kieran O'Connell was going to help the law enforcement with their investigation and testify if needed.

Break

"Come on, Bonnie. It's just a party, and we could use one right now. All this studying is killing me and you need to live a little." Said Caroline, trying to convince Bonnie to go to a party she heard about during the early morning at lunch break.

"I want to live a lot, thank you very much." Replied the witch, warming herself an eye roll.

"Elena and Stefan have already agreed to go but they'll be together and I don't want to be alone on the sidelines nursing a cup. I need you." Reasoned the vampire.

"Fine, but just for an hour. I have to..."

"Call Scott McCall for your nightly calls?" Interrupted Caroline.

"... Call my dad and do something." Completed Bonnie, then added. "And just so you know, we don't talk every night, and we're taking my car, that way if you don't want to leave the party later I can just leave you there."

"There goes the plan of having you spend more than an hour having fun."

Break

On the other side of the country Scott met with Derek and Marin at the Hale's loft in the afternoon while Cora was out with Malia. The druid and werewolf were giving their report on the meeting with Chris who was still in New Orleans although he had a guardian raven to watch his back after the True Alpha sent another raven to the city to watch over him.

"Chris also said that Lucien has a lot of houses all over New Orleans and he doesn't spend two consecutive days at any of them, he regularly and randomly chooses to stay at a different one everyday but only a few are aware of that fact." Said the Morrell, showing the boy the houses the Argent knew about on a map including their photos.

"A sign of Lucien's paranoia." Commented Derek, and the other two agreed with him.

"So how am I supposed to get to him if I don't know where he will be? I can't attack him at the office or his known 'fixed' house since we don't know how much time he actually spends there." Questioned the tribrid.

"That's what Argent is trying to figure out now. But can't you use your birds?" Spoke Derek, having been caught up by the boy earlier on the issue of the ravens. 

"Raven1 is watching Vincent and pushing my dad and the FBI in the right direction, and Raven6 is watching over Chris and keeping track of the Crescent Wolf Pack." Explained Scott. "Four other ravens are out on the field keeping an eye on the FBI and other agencies involved outside New Orleans, including one scouting your target, and will possess some of the agents to keep the supernatural hidden. 

One other raven, Raven3, is still watching Neo but has a bird following Peter. Only Raven8 is still in Beacon Hills for emergencies. I don't want Lucien to suspect anyone close to him so that when we are ready Raven1 and Raven6 can possess them to help us gain access to the research bases and holding cells, and help Corey and Hayden get the captives to safety and keep them safe."

"So while Malia and Jordan help you with the frontal attack Corey, Hayden and the ravens will secure the captives and bring them to Melissa and Chris before the police arrive." Said Marin.

"And if the Crescent Wolf Pack agrees to ally with us they'll help with the frontal attack and when the time is right Malia, Jordan and I will split from them and go for Lucien. You and Alpha Kenner, on the other hand, will arrange a meeting with the Faction to keep them distracted and prepare for my arrival with..." Added the McCall, before clearing his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the last part.

"Lucien's head on one hand and body on the other." Marin completed for him, and even Derek was a bit uncomfortable. "These people obviously understand power more than words, Scott. Evidence of a clean fight and kill of the self-proclaimed oldest and most powerful non-original vampire in existence will send a crystal clear message not to mess with you and your pack."

"If I win the fight with a ten centuries old vampire and sever his head from his body." Reminded the True Alpha.

"Scott, you're both a traditional and evolved werewolf, a true alpha and born vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid." Said Derek, confidence in his voice. "And I've seen you literally go shoulder to shoulder with an augmented alpha as an omega werewolf and produce a thunderous shock wave that rocked you as much as it rocked Ennis and shake it off like it was nothing.

You have all the firepower, the will, brains and experience you need to defeat Lucien, but most importantly you have the reason to see what you have to do through. And don't forget, Malia and Jordan will be there. Your friends and pack will be standing on your corner."

Scott took a deep breath and let it out slowly before giving the Hale a grateful nod.

"Um, Malia and I have been talking about asking Satomi to fill your team with at least two betas. And Raven8 will also join your team and assist Raven4, the raven scouting your target." The McCall carried on. "Aside from what we've..."

He was interrupted by a phone call and immediately answered it once he looked saw who it was from.

"Are you OK?" Was his greeting while mentally checking in with Raven1.

"I'm alright, Scott. But it doesn't look like Vincent intends to stay out of the way." Replied Chris Argent, noting the boy's concerned tone. "He just paid me a visit and put an offer on the table. He said that he could help break the curse placed on the Crescent Wolf Pack and even provide us with information on the best time to strike and limit casualties.

In exchange you have to help smooth things out between the Werewolf Faction and Witch Faction."

Break

"Now this is fun." Said Tyler, walking into the mansion the party was at with Matt later that evening.

"It sure looks like it." Commented the human, looking around. "Who is the host anyway?"

"The new girl. I think her name is Mindy." Answered the werewolf.

They both went to get themselves drinks and mingle. While they were doing that Greta and Klaus were signing over the deed to the house for the night to one of the latter's compelled human maid for the night in order to allow Caroline and Stefan entry into the house.

The plan was for the deed to go back to the Martin after the party to deny the Forbes and Salvatore access to the house afterwards, although the latter could be granted an invitation if he chooses Rebekah over Elena once he gets his memories back.

The Mikaelson just hoped his sister directs her anger on Stefan, Elena and their friends instead of his Pack. Not that they were ever going to let their guards down around her after she killed one of their own right before their eyes, including those of their alpha, but still, Rebekah was still stronger than them.

In another room in the mansion sat the female Mikaelson, trying to prepare herself mentally and emotionally for what was coming. There were only two outcomes, Stefan Salvatore was either going to choose her or the dull doppelganger.

Apart from that Rebekah planned to find the whereabouts of her necklace soon, and by soon she meant tonight. A witch who could find it for her was bringing herself to her after all.

Break

"How many people actually live here?" Asked the witch Rebekah was counting on, getting out of her car with Caroline at the mansion.

"Excluding the staff? Probably less than four." Answered the Forbes, linking arms with her best friend as they were invited inside the house.

Somewhere inside the mansion Stefan watched Elena dance just a few feet from him and not a moment later she got him to dance with her to dance music, dance music. He knew it was a party and all but he wasn't much of a dancer, more so to dance music but since his love wanted to dance and with him who was he to refuse her, even if he was bad at it.

"You're not a bad dancer." Said the girl over the music, as though she read his mind.

"You don't have to make me feel good about my two left feet, Elena." Responded the vampire. "I know my strong points and..."

He paused as he noticed the music level be lowered, as did everyone, before silence filled the house full of teenagers and young adults and...

"Silence is like a clean canvas waiting to be transformed into something more, something beautiful, art that which resonates with the viewer." Began a male's voice that many didn't recognize except a group of friends though they couldn't see its source. "Some people say that war is art painted in tears, blood and bodies and filled with resonating screams of the young and old, the innocent and not so innocent as they take their last breaths.

But if that's the case then war isn't really needed, for creatures like us need no war to paint, not when all we need is a big enough space to party, alcohol to slow down our senses and the dance floor to get our blood pumping, but most importantly music and a crowd full of people who want to forget all their problems and just have fun, and perhaps reunite with old flames and friends."

As the man said the last word those who related with what he said, which was the majority, felt like they were understood while others shared looks with their old flames and friends who were present.

"I'm your host..." Continued the man, coming into view of everyone. "Klaus Mikaelson, and if art is what you desire the floor is yours! (he received a roar of approval from the crowd while he raised his bottle of beer for a toast) To forgetting, fun, reunions, old flames and friends!"

They all returned the toast before the music picked up once again and Klaus left for a room a little deeper into the mansion. The moment of truth was finally upon them all.

"Reunions, old flames and friends?" Asked Rebekah once her brother arrived in the room, holding a glass of wine she just poured to calm her nerves. "Really, brother?"

"Well, you are going to reunite with your old flame and I a friend, dear sister." Replied the hybrid, taking the glass of wine from her for a sip and noted that she mixed it with blood. "Of course, that's assuming he isn't too taken with his new flame and friends."

"What if he is?" Questioned the ancient girl, taking back her wine. "What if he wants nothing to do with us?"

"I'll make him..."

"I don't want to live a lie, Nik." The vampire interrupted, already knowing what he was going to say. "And I don't think you want to either, or else you wouldn't have bothered to listen to that wolf girl and actually invest yourself into your pack."

"Then what do you want, Bekah?" Asked Klaus, giving her his full attention.

Break

"To forgetting, fun, reunions, old flames and friends?" Questioned Caroline, as she and Bonnie met up with Matt, Tyler, Elena and Stefan.

"Don't forget the whole thing about war and art." Added Tyler, a bit disturbed by the Mikaelson's speech.

"He was obviously giving you a warning and a little spoiler." Said Kimberly, appearing before the group and earning their attention.

"And you are?" Inquired Stefan, having never seen the girl.

"The person Klaus sent to get you. Come, follow me." Replied the first non-original vampire-werewolf hybrid, already leaving and clearly expecting the vampire to follow her.

He looked at his friends for a moment before he followed although Elena didn't want him to, and a moment later Bonnie felt her phone vibrate and checked to see that it was an alarm she sent earlier to notify her once an hour has passed since she and Caroline arrived at the party.

"OK. That's my cue to leave." She informed, and...

"No, it's not." Said Greta, before anyone could say anything, she too appearing before the group. "Someone wants to meet with you."

"And why would I want to meet with this someone?" Questioned the Bennett, hand on her hip.

"If you don't we'll be forced to finish what we started last night." Daniel answered for the Martin, joining her with Mindy, putting her between them.

"What...?" Matt started to ask but was interrupted.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize our scents, wolf boy." Said Mindy, a sweet smile on her face. "Are our scents that different when we're not wolves?"

It took a half a moment for Tyler to catch on and realize what they were implying and another for him to lunge forward, anger in his eyes but he was held back by Caroline, she too realizing since the boy informed her of the attack.

"Don't, Ty. They..."

"Yeah, Ty. Listen to your Juliet." Taunted Daniel Warren, angering the Lockwood even further.

"Who wants to meet with me?" Bonnie asked Greta in order to get things under control and get the attention away from the werewolf and vampire.

Break

Rebekah and Klaus were disturbed by a knock on the door of the room they were in before the former could reply. They both knew who was it was so the latter granted Stefan access to the room while Kimberly closed the door and went about her night.

"Stefan, so nice of you to join us." Said the Alpha of the Hybrid Pack. "How has life been without Damon?"

Life without Damon...

"It isn't the same." The Salvatore gave a short answer, while wondering who the girl in the room was and why she was looking at him with affection in her eyes.

"Of course it's not, but it's time to remember." Responded Klaus, approaching the depowered vampire.

"To remember what?" Asked a confused Stefan.

"It's time to remember, old friend." Repeated the hybrid, and locked eyes with the Salvatore.

The non-original vampire's first instinct when he realized what the Mikaelson was about to do was panic because ever since they found out that Klaus wasn't in town anymore and some time passed he stopped taking vervain and giving Caroline a refill. As much as the plant protected them from compulsion it also harmed them but...

"Remember Rebekah and I, Stefan. Remember what I compelled you to forget." The hybrid's voice interrupted his panic and half a moment later memories Stefan wasn't familiar with started appearing.

The nineteen twenties, a bar, Chicago, a necklace, two siblings...

"Rebekah?" Asked the Salvatore, looking at the Mikaelson girl with new eyes for he knew her, she was his girlfriend and... And her brother was his friend. "Nik?"

That was all the confirmation Rebekah needed before she embraced Stefan, no longer holding in the urge to embrace him and her heart bit a little faster when the boy returned her embrace.

"Stefan." She said his name, breathing him in and trying her best not to think about a potential problem in the form of a certain doppelganger.

"Welcome back, old friend." Said the Original hybrid, going over to a bar in the room to pour three glasses of whiskey for a private toast while Rebekah and Stefan sat down..

Break

Meanwhile Niklaus Mikaelson's biological son was in his bedroom looking over the contracts that came with the briefcase Raven1 gave Derek and Marin to give to him. Though some people were listed as shareholders of Kingmaker Land Development Inc. that was not so, Raven1 explained that Lucien fooled the so-called shareholders into thinking they owned shares but that wasn't so.

He just took their money and probably compelled them to think they owned the shares when in reality he never sold them, not even one percent, but made it look like he did. The 'shareholders' received all the privileges of shareholders except one, owning a share of the company and this made it all the more easier for Raven1 to transfer the ownership of Kingmaker Land Development Inc. to Scott McCall.

Scott was actually a bit uncomfortable with just how they robbed Lucien of everything he owned and made it all seem legal and legit, with only the prices raising eyebrows. He was sure Stiles would have been over the moon as this topped everything they've ever done. The problem now was what the McCall was going to do with everything he now owned.

He knew nothing about running a business except an animal clinic and none of his pack members were interested in business management. The only person Scott knew who could run a business this big was Noshiko Yukimura, Kira's mother, but she probably wouldn't be interested, not with the location she would have to move to.

Talking about moving, when the True Alpha reached the last document in the briefcase he noticed the slight movement of the bottom of said briefcase and that was when he realized that the briefcase was thick enough to have a hidden compartment. That was confirmed when he tried to open it only to find a stake.

'It's not just a stake, True Alpha.' Raven8 said upon seeing Scott's confusion as to why Raven1 would send him a stake. 'It's white oak wood. Raven1 found it inside Lucien's second secret safe at the head office and we thought about destroying it since there's a chance it could kill you but you might have use of it someday.'

The shocking revelation left the vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid staring at the stake, wondering how and where Lucien Castle got it. The white oak stake gave some weight to the vampire's claims of being the very first non-original vampire in the world, making Scott realize that they might be walking into the battle of their lives regardless of their planning.

He decided to up his training as well as the pack's and considered accepting Vincent Griffith's offer. The McCall truly hoped Lucien didn't notice anything was amiss until it was too late, he truly did because a lot depended on a surprise attack.

Break

As much as Stefan Salvatore tried to act as though his world wasn't turned upside down and torn between the past and the present he knew that he couldn't hold the facade, not when Elena was probably waiting for him someplace else in the mansion that he just discovered belonged to Klaus Mikaelson, also known as his old friend from ninety years ago.

As time past with the three catching up Rebekah's euphoria state began to settle down and she started to see that Stefan's mind was elsewhere and he didn't magically go back to the way he was ninety years ago, although less distant he was still distant even as he tried to cover that up.

Something told her that he was using what he just remembered of their brief time together in the last twenties to fool them and that didn't sit well with the girl. She understood that things were a bit weird for him right now but she didn't like to be made a fool of, especially when her heart was on the line so...

"Who are you going to choose, Stefan?" The Mikaelson asked, halting a conversation between her half brother and Stefan who tensed up.

"What do you mean?" Inquired the Salvatore, trying to buy himself sometime to think.

"Don't act dump, you know what I'm talking about." Responded the girl, narrowing her eyes on the depowered vampire boy. "Are you with us or the doppelganger and her friends?"

"You know that I'm with you..." Began the Stefan but he was interrupted.

"Then let's have a little fun, shall we?" Said Klaus, standing up. "We have a house full of humans waiting to feed us."

Somehow, this felt like a test to the Salvatore.


	23. Chapter 23

"How long do we have to wait? We have things to do." Inquired Bonnie, after sometime since Greta, Daniel and Mindy stopped her from leaving.

"Your friends can leave if they want to, but they'll be missing quite a show if they do. You on the other hand, can't." Said Greta, standing with her fellow witch, her friends and the two hybrids on the side of the dance floor.

"And who is going to stop me? You? These two?" Questioned the Bennett, referring to the Martin and the two hybrids. "I've brought an original vampire-werewolf hybrid to his knees, I don't think you three will be much of a problem."

Matt, Caroline, Tyler and Elena were impressed with their friend's boost and confidence since it was true she brought a certain hybrid to near death and was saved only by his brother running away with him.

Greta, Daniel and Mindy on the other hand didn't take what she said well and were about to do something about it until they all heard a scream over the music, stopping it, and the crowd move away from the origin of the scream in a hurry.

They went to check what was going on and found Klaus and Rebekah feeding on two of the party goers with Stefan standing by before the female Mikaelson cut short on her feeding and beckoned him to feed.

"Come, love. A fresh meal is waiting for you." Said the girl, knowing that ever since he was depowered he hasn't had fresh blood from the artery and now an open external carotid artery was waiting for him.

The Salvatore swallowed hard at the invitation, for they used to shared their victims sometimes back in the days and the past momentarily crossed over with the present and he went in to feed, the thought of fresh human blood after feeding on blood bags for so long on his mind, but abruptly stopped when...

"Stefan!" Elena called his name, coming into his line of sight and shame filled him. 

"Ah, Elena. So good of you to join us." Said Klaus, having stopped short of killing the human he was feeding on and turned his attention on the Gilbert. "But it appears you lost some manners in my absence."

In the silence that followed Greta and the Hybrid Pack as a whole went to Klaus and Rebekah's side while Elena, Bonnie, Matt, Caroline and Tyler stood on the other side and a stand off between the two groups was witnessed by terrified humans who couldn't leave the house for some reason.

That reason was the fact that they were all compelled by the Hybrid Pack upon their arrival at the mansion although the local group of friends didn't know that detail.

For Stefan Salvatore, the stand off was a physical representation of his past and present and he knew it's end results would determine his future with both and...

"I doubt she had any manners to begin with, brother." Spoke Rebekah, annoyed Elena interrupted their feeding though this provided them with an excellent opportunity to find out where Stefan's loyalty laid. "Not with her ancestry."

"Sorry, did you just say "brother"?" Inquired Caroline, noting how the new girl addressed Klaus. "Didn't Elijah..."

"Ah, my honorable brother Elijah." Interrupted the Original Hybrid. "Have you heard from him lately?"

"You killed him." Elena reminded the man.

"I kept my word and reunited him with his family just as we agreed even after he conspired with you lot to kill me." Corrected the male Mikaelson. "And yes, this is my younger sister Rebekah. Fair warning, she can be quite mean."

The Hybrid Pack knew what their alpha said to be true, she killed their pack-mate right before their eyes in a temper tantrum, after all.

"Says the dagger happy brother." Retorted Rebekah, and if the situation wasn't so serious a few might have found some humor there but with her retort out of the way the girl focused her sight on Elena. "Is there a reason why you interrupted our meal, doppelganger?"

"I..."

"Or do you want us to share you, instead?" Interrupted the original vampire, a moment before she super ran and appeared right before the Gilbert and held the human girl by her hair to expose her neck, ignoring Elena's startled scream.

The Mikaelson waited just long enough for her new prey to comprehend what was about to happen before she went to feed on her but Caroline, Bonnie and Tyler were on the move to stop her though they were intercepted by Hayley Marshall, Nate Yokushi and Mindy who quickly pin them down while Daniel Warren pinned down Matt Donovan.

"Rebekah, just leave her. She's nothing." Said Stefan, walking over to Elena and Rebekah while trying to appear nonchalant. "Just like Klaus said, we have a house full of humans waiting for us and one is already ready for us."

The Gilbert and Mikaelson stilled at the depowered vampire's words, both feeling their hearts break. Hearing Stefan say that she was nothing hurt although his follow up made her realize that he was just trying to save her. She just didn't get what was the connection between him and Klaus' sister.

For Rebekah, however, the Salvatore's intervention was like a stake to the heart. She noticed how he recoiled when Elena called his name even as he tried to cover his slip up and though she could let that slide she couldn't let this slide, not when he defended the doppelganger and gave her some stupid reason to not feed on the human girl.

What broke the Mikaelson's heart though was the fact that she didn't even think twice to choose Stefan over her half brother Klaus ninety years ago but in return he chose someone else over her, worst of all he believed that he could fool her to save the dull doppelganger.

She lost ninety years of her life for choosing him over her blood and yet he had the nerve to choose Tatia's second doppelganger over her. Not only did he break her heart but he also insulted her intelligence and that pissed her off.

Rebekah knew now how Klaus felt when Tatia chose Elijah over him, but she didn't forget that he was one of the reasons for her heartache.

When Stefan was just a few feet away from the original vampire and human the former turned to look at him, revealing a lone tear falling down her cheek.

"A heart for a heart." She told him, voice a whisper but audible, before thrusting her free hand into Elena Gilbert's chest and pulled her heart out and silence reigned.

It was like the whole world went silent and then moved in slow motion. Bonnie Bennett, Caroline Forbes, Matthew Donovan, Tyler Lockwood and most of all Stefan Salvatore couldn't believe what Rebekah Mikaelson did to their friend, best friend and girlfriend Elena Gilbert, nor could the party attendees who witnessed everything.

But if they couldn't believe it then it was a surreal experience for Elena whose shocked wide eyes watched her still beating heart in her teary eyed murderer's hand while her body registered the absence of a vital organ and nature took it's course. She didn't feel anything physically but she knew that these were her last moments and she could only think of one person, Stefan Salvatore.

Just as that thought passed the girl's mind her eyes met his own and her metaphorical heart broke when she saw the broken look that was quickly taking over his handsome face.

Elena knew that Stefan was going to take her death really bad and wished what was happening was not real, that she had more time with him and her friends but as it stood her family was waiting for her and a part of her welcomed death with open arms. She hoped Alaric wouldn't blame himself and that those that she loved would hold on to each other.

The sound of Elena's body and heart hitting the floor after Rebekah let go of them dispelled the shock everyone was in and screams and cries of horror and grief filled the house. Stefan just fell to his knees and hopelessly crawled to his love's body. Tyler and Matt found it hard to breathe, they couldn't comprehend what just happened.

Caroline just felt numb. The last time she felt like this was when her mother told her of the divorce between her and her father but now it was made worse by her vampire status.

Just as Klaus was getting annoyed with the screaming and depressing atmosphere and was about to kick everyone out, knowing that once the humans crossed the threshold they wouldn't remember anything since that was part of the compulsion he instructed his pack to do he wasn't worried about exposure, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Rebekah looked at the crawling Stefan Salvatore one last time then she turned her sight to her brother and they locked eyes for a moment before the only female original vampire super ran out of the mansion and disappeared into the night. The Original Hybrid went to follow her but a sudden powerful scream filled the air and a moment later the windows exploded like a bomb, though fortunately outwards.

Mindy who had been holding Bonnie down suddenly found herself sailing through the air before she hit the ceiling head first at an odd angle that snapped her neck, temporarily killing her in impact and returned to the ground. While the others felt defeated, without hope, Bonnie Bennett was filled with pure unadulterated fury and her magic matched her mood.

While Klaus sent the humans out, not wanting to have his house painted in blood by someone else Hayley and Nate went to attack the Bennett, with the intention of knocking her out before her magic went further out of control but she just extended her hands while she stood up and released a powerful telekinetic blast that hit them both head on, sending Nate out a broken window and Hayley through a door leading inside a room in the mansion.

With Rebekah nowhere to be found Bonnie turned her fury towards Klaus Mikaelson with bad intentions in mind. With Hayley and Nate out of the picture Caroline and Tyler were free and they too, like their witch friend, had bad intentions, that is until the female vampire's neck suddenly snapped and her body hit the floor, courtesy of Kimberly having snuck up on the Forbes.

Tyler was already on his way to help Matt so Bonnie, having caught sight of the first non-original vampire-werewolf hybrid's attack on her only remaining best friend, momentarily took her eyes off Klaus to take care of Kimberly, a mistake on her part.

The Mikaelson took the opportunity to launch his own attack against her which was a blow to a knockout pressure point that saw the young witch hit the floor, unconscious, just in time too because some of the furniture was starting to catch on fire. This left only Tyler and a broken Stefan who didn't get involved in the fight.

With Bonnie taken care of Kimberly joined Daniel to take on Tyler who was alone after Daniel knocked out Matt when he saw the Lockwood coming his way. Their orders were not to kill the local group but to just deliver a message in a show of power so they only intended to knockout the werewolf, although not before they had a little fun.

"Enough!" Klaus roared, halting any movement as he saw Hayley and Nate rejoin the fight. "Nate, check on Mindy. Greta and Hayley, go look for Rebekah. Kimberly and Daniel, help Tyler take Bonnie, Matt and Caroline to the Salvatore Boarding House and make sure Caroline doesn't revive on the way.

If anything happens to my sister and pack, Tyler, all your parents will be next including everyone you know; your classmates, neighbors and their pets. Pass my warning to your friends when they wake up and make sure that they know I'll finish what my sister started if they try me."

With that said everyone went about to carry their orders while the Mikaelson approached Stefan who was hugging Elana's body close to his own, a broken mess. Being over a thousand years old one would think he understood what the younger vampire was going through, but he didn't really understand.

Oh, Klaus has had countless lovers over his long life with a few memorable and special ones but he has only ever allowed himself to fall in love twice. His first love was the progenitor of the Petrova doppelgangers and an ancestor of the girl Stefan obviously loved more than his sister, Tatia. 

Tatia who chose Elijah over him and their mother killed to 'end' their rivalry. Esther Mikaelson was truly something. The Original Hybrid's second and last love was Lady Aurora de Martel, daughter of Count de Martel and younger sister of Tristan de Martel, the hybrid was never going to address Tristan as Lord Tristan.

Aurora de Martel caught his eye from the first time he saw her and when they officially met... Though she ended up breaking his heart in the end like no other woman, apart from Esther Mikaelson, to the point that he saw love as nothing but weakness Klaus couldn't deny that she was his greatest love to this day, centuries since he last saw her, centuries since she broke his heart.

He didn't know if she still lived or not but she still haunted him to this day, for she was the reason his heart belonged to none. The woman was everything the Mikaelson ever dreamed of and she showed him everything he ever desired, unconditional love, comfort, acceptance and understanding, even choosing him over Lucien Castle, that was until that fateful day his family had to leave her castle, to run from the destroyer Mikael.

Though Klaus didn't understand what Stefan was going through he did understand the heartache Rebekah suffered and didn't blame her for killing Elena in order to hurt the Salvatore where it hurt the most. He knew she didn't plan to kill the human girl but they were both quite spontaneous at times and he gave a fair warning about how his sister could be mean.

There was only one thing that worried the hybrid, the look in Rebekah's eyes when they locked eyes before she disappeared afterwards. It...

"Why?" Stefan's voice pulled the man out of his thoughts, bringing him to the present. "Elena did nothing to her."

"You lied to us, Stefan. Rebekah wasn't planning on forcing you to choose her, she asked you to choose between us and the doppelganger and her friends, knowing there was a chance you would choose the latter two." Answered the Mikaelson, standing by the Salvatore's side. "If you had chosen Elena from the start I believe this might not have happened.

Yes, my sister would have been a bit hostile towards the girl but she would have ultimately accepted your choice. Before you entered the room earlier we were talking about the possibility of you choosing your new friends over us and Rebekah only desired that you choose her over Elena because you genuinely love her, not as some sort of sacrifice.

Love is a sacred thing to my sister, Stefan. And you tainted it when you tried to use her love for you to fool her, to fool us and think you could get away with it after she lost nine decades for choosing you over me. It's a pity that you have such a low opinion of us when Rebekah chose you over me and I saved your life.

For the sake of our friendship you can rest assured that as long as your new friends don't try anything against mine and I we will not try anything against them. I'll call upon you when I have need of you, until then bury your girlfriend and mourn her death, old friend. I've sent your new friends to the boarding house, let me take you to them."

The heart broken Stefan let Klaus help him stand although he held on to Elena's body, not wanting to part from it. They left the mansion as Mindy revived and Nate helped her stand, the late Elena Gilbert's still heart not being left behind.

Break

The last time Rebekah Mikaelson dared to leave her half brother it was for a boy she fell in love with, now however it was for herself and Klaus couldn't stop her this time for he had his hands full. That's right, by the time Rebekah broke off eye contact with her brother she had already decided to leave his side and go on on her own.

Klaus was never going to let her live her life, not without him, and as much as she loved him after what happened tonight the ancient girl realized just how much she needed to get away from him and not give him any chance to refuse her her freedom. She also needed sometime apart from her latest heartbreak and betrayal and so she left.

The Mikaelson girl had no destination in mind nor any possession on her person except the clothes, shoes and jewelry she was wearing and her phone but that didn't matter, it actually symbolized her situation. She just hoped Greta would understand.

Break

"Are you really asking me to allow you to go on a week long road trip with your boyfriend?" Questioned Deputy Valerie Clarke, although right now she wasn't a deputy but an older sister at home after dinner while watching a television.

"And Mason, Corey, Scott, Malia and Lydia." Added Hayden, not mentioning Jordan or the McCall Pack allies. "And yes, I am. Scott is like Liam's older brother and since Malia, Lydia and Scott are going on a road trip after they graduate Liam asked to join them since they won't be around soon.

When Mason heard about it he asked to tag along too and so did Corey. They are the only friends I have and if I don't go with them I'll be stuck here alone for a week, and the last time I went with you to work..."

"You don't need to remind me." Said Valerie, remembering seeing a murderous prehistoric animal chasing her younger sister. "But you had disappeared for three days without saying anything, Hayden."

"I-I'm sorry for that but I'm saying something right now. I know how worried you were last time and that's why I'm asking for your permission." Responded the girl, gaining a heavy sigh from her older sister.

"How much will this road trip cost? You know we have a set budget."

"Malia's paying for the whole thing so you don't have to worry about the budget." Answered Hayden.

"Malia?" Asked the human, surprised the Tate had the money to fund a week long road trip for eight people including herself.

Break

"Yes, Malia." Replied Corey Bryant, having a similar conversation with his parents at home.

"Are you dating that Mason kid? Who is Malia?" Inquired Mrs Bryant.

"I am. Malia is a friend at school."

"Well, if we don't have to pay for this road trip of yours then you can go. You could use a week long break." Said Mr Bryant, nodding to himself.

But Corey knew that his father was just projecting, he was actually talking about how he and his mother could use a week long break from being parents even though they weren't even in the run for the Parents of the Year Awards. More often than not the chimera wondered why they had him and if they loved him.

He didn't know what being a parent was like but he sure knew how it felt to be invisible even before the Dread Doctors made him what he was now and maybe that was why he had the abilities he possessed.

Neglect had different outcomes for everyone but Corey was a little glad for his parents negligence for it helped make him who he was today and gained him a very special group of friends and a pack. He appreciate all the attention they gave him more than they knew, the feeling of being noticed and accepted, the...

"Is there anything more, Corey?" Mr Bryant's voice cut through his son's thoughts.

"Uh, no. Thank you, dad, mom." Responded the chimera before leaving for his bedroom.

As much as it hurt not being their priority it hurt less now that he had Mason, Hayden, Liam, Lydia, Jordan, Malia and Scott in his life. They were his pillar, they were his friends, they were his pack, his chosen family. It wasn't a bit later that Corey realized that his mother actually called Mason by name.

She usually didn't care enough to remember who he was dating but it seemed like the Hewitt left a good impression. It probably had something to do with Corey's grades improving and the study sessions Mrs Bryant kept walking in on when the two boys studied at her house.

Break

"What do you have to do with seniors, Mason?" Questioned Mrs Hewitt, arms crossed as she addressed her son in the kitchen at their home just after dinner.

"Lydia has been tutoring me and acting as my mentor just like Scott has been for Liam. They had this road trip thing planned before their best friend Stiles died and so we just want to be there for them just like they have been there for us." Answered the boy, hoping that he'll be granted permission.

"I didn't know you needed tutoring, son." Said Mr Hewitt, an eyebrow raised, not believing his son.

"It's more of a mentoring thing, dad. When Liam transferred to Beacon Hills High Scott took him under his wing and somewhere along the way Lydia took me under hers. Corey and Hayden joined the 'mentorship' a few months ago. Scott mentors Corey and Liam now while his best friend Malia mentors Hayden." Explained the Mason.

"What 'mentorship' do they provide you being just two years older than you?" Pressed the human's father.

"You wouldn't be asking that if you knew just how smart Lydia is. And with Scott and Malia it's more of a big brother and sister/little bother and sister thing. You remember Liam was diagnosed with IED, right? Well, Scott has been helping him manage it and equipping Liam with leadership skills that helped him become the captain of the lacrosse team after Scott stepped down to focus more on his grades and graduation."

That impressed the two parents but...

"How about you invite them over for dinner before we decide?" Suggested Mrs Hewitt, wanting to meet the people her son seemed to admire.

It wasn't the first time she heard Mason talk about Scott, Malia, Lydia and another one with a weird name, Stiles, she recalled although she didn't know they were seniors, It was about time she met them.

Break

"Are you going to tell me what's going on with this group of yours?" Inquired Doctor Geyer, a moment after his stepson asked him to help him convince his mother to allow him to go on a week long road trip just after he got home from work.

"What do you mean?" Asked Liam, not sure what his stepfather was on or at least trying to appear confused.

"Come on, Liam. I'm not blind." Said the doctor. "Ever since you transferred to Beacon Hills High and befriended Scott McCall you have been acting strange and this isn't just me seeing things. If you want my help you're going to have to tell me what's going on."

Before the beta werewolf could refute anything was going on his phone vibrated, signaling an incoming call that he checked and found to be from Hayden and made sure his stepfather saw it.

"Hey, Hayden. Could you hold on for a sec?" Was the boy's words after answering the phone before responding to Dr Geyer. "There isn't anything going on. It's just a road trip Scott, Malia, Stiles and Lydia had planned before Stiles died."

"Just like the trip to Mexico last year?" Asked the man, and just as he expected Liam didn't have anything to say about that. "That's what I thought. I can't help you if you don't tell me or your mother what's going on. Just remember that I'll always be there when you need to talk."

With that said he left the Dunbar to his phone call, wondering about trying Nurse Melissa McCall since she admitted to knowing some 'bizarre' things.

"You heard that. How did it go on your side?" Liam asked his girlfriend, conflicted.

"Valerie said that she'll think about it." Said Hayden.

Break

Over at Beacon Hills Animal Clinic Doctor Alan Deaton was studying the effects of the GS on Scott's blood. Since Melissa was busy studying the GS's effects on humans and human related illnesses he was focusing on it's effects on supernatural beings.

So far there appeared to be no negative effects although there were no real effects on Scott's blood other than enhancing it a bit. The enhancement was more visible when the man poisoned the blood with vervain or wolfsbane and then add the GS under microscope because the blood destroyed the poison faster than the control.

Alan made an educated guess that the GS promoted good health in living and maybe even undead organisms by optimizing the body and it's functions and getting rid of anything that harms it. Whereas it had some negative effects on the resurrected by altering their personality it had no effects on the body itself other than resurrecting and optimizing it.

He wasn't surprised by how the chimeras Theo resurrected had their personalities altered and their bodies seemed to fully accept the changes the Dread Doctors made afterwards, bringing people back to life was a complicated thing to do and involved the body, mind and soul/spirit, hence it took the Dread Doctors so long to resurrect Sebastien Valet.

The druid was all in for perfecting the panacea but he drew a line when it came to granting the whole world a resurrection elixir, he didn't want to find out how nature would balance the imbalance that would cause, so they had to find a way to eliminate the resurrecting abilities of the GS.

Break

When Alaric returned from the workshop he was informed of Elena's death and he along with the others mourned her death while the days passed and finally after a week and a few days the Crescent Wolf Pack, through Eve, contacted the McCall Pack, through Marin, and arranged a meeting between the former pack's representative and the latter's alpha.

That meeting was scheduled to be held today, in a few minutes, actually, at the abandoned mall in Beacon Hills where Scott once tried to hold a peaceful meeting with Deucalion. But unlike the last time the McCall was standing at the very top of the stairs the Demon Wolf once stood upon though between the stairs.

His companions, Marin and Derek, were standing in the middle of the stairs, one on the right and the other on the left. The True Alpha knew that to ally with the Crescent Wolf Pack was instrumental to the plan, they were the key to the New Orleans Werewolf Community, presently known as the Bayou Pack.

Though he had the means to secretly take over New Orleans by making it's current leaders, including Jackson Kenner, his puppets and lead it from the shadows that wasn't really the tribrid's style. That was kind of a lie considering he secretly and illegally took over everything Lucien Castle owned, something his mind was all too pleased to remind him.

The point, however, was that though he had the means and the power to covertly take over New Orleans, and spare the loss of life that was going to result from the planned attack and rescue, the 'in the know' New Orleans community needed to know the price that will be paid to restore balance in their city to value the balance and prevent another imbalance.

That thought gave Scott pause, making him wonder if he has been spending too much time with Marin. That woman was well versed in a lot of things, diplomacy in its many forms being one of them although with a different philosophy compared to her older brother Alan.

The Morrell's experience as Deucalion's emissary over the years, more so the last decade, made her the perfect person to consult when considering worst case scenarios and fortunately she was a reasonable person and considered every scenario. The True Alpha thought his pack blessed with the adult allies in their lives, really they were blessed.

"They just arrived." Said Derek, interrupting Scott's thoughts after Jordan, who was part of the team monitoring the area, updated him through an earpiece, courtesy of Sheriff Stilinski and the hellhound.

Indeed the representatives of the Crescent Wolf Pack had just arrived and Eve wondered if it was a good idea to come with the people who accompanied her. She agreed with Emissary Morrell that she would bring two other people with her to the meeting and True Alpha McCall would do the same but Francesca Guerrera insisted on bringing her entourage, also known as her henchmen.

The condition Eve gave was that the henchmen would stay in their cars and come out only if there was trouble. They were not home but in another pack's territory and needed to tread carefully and stick to the agreed terms of the meeting.

"This kid sure knows how to pick a place for a meeting." Commented Francesca, looking around the abandoned mall once out of the car.

"Careful, this "kid" is practically the Alpha of Beacon Hills. Every single supernatural and human in the know in the area respects him, even the oldest of the alphas in town." Said Eve, she too looking around.

"Good thing I'm not from the area." Replied the Guerrera.

"Do anything to jeopardize this meeting and I'll trigger the curse with your death, Francesca. Jackson wants this meeting to be a success so that he can meet with the True Alpha and I'm not going to let you ruin it." Threatened the lawyer, but she wasn't done. "And just so your henchmen remember, they aren't supposed to be here.

If they cause any problems they might just find themselves face to face with angry glowing eyes of this town's protectors and I will not vouch for them."

"You heard that boys so sit tight and wait for the top dog." Said Francesca, before she, Eve and their third companion, who was human and a professional killer walked away from the cars, heading for the abandoned mall although not before the Guerrera leaned over to whisper in Eve's ear while covertly pinching her buttock. "I still like it when you get all serious."

She was rewarded with Eve slapping her hand away and taking a deep breath to stop herself from responding verbally, mentally cursing Jackson for asking her former... Whatever they were, to accompany and protect her.


	24. Chapter 24

It all started with just two teenage boys and best friends, Scott McCall and Mieczyslaw "Stiles" Stilinski, going to the woods to look for a body about two and a half years ago. That two soon turned to three with Allison Argent and then four a few months later with Isaac Lahey, not long after that Lydia Martin accepted who she was and became the fifth.

A few weeks later five became six with Kira Yukimura and soon seven with Malia Tate then eight with Liam Dunbar. For while things settled before eight turned to nine with Theo Raeken but soon after everything fell apart until only one remained, Scott McCall, but in the process Mason Hewitt solidified his place as the tenth.

However, not a moment later there was none as Scott McCall died at the hands of Theo Raeken, but Melissa McCall resurrected him and little by little, one by one Scott McCall rebuilt what had fallen apart. Ten became eleven with Hayden Romero then twelve with Corey Bryant. Twelve turned to thirteen with Jordan Parrish and finally Belasko.

Though that was how the chronological order of the official members of the McCall Pack went it wasn't just them. There was also the man who introduced Scott McCall to the supernatural world, Derek Hale and the allies he made, whether temporary or otherwise, from Jackson Whittemore, Alan Deaton, Chris Argent, Vernon Boyd, Erica Reyes, Noah Stilinski, Aiden and Ethan.

To Braeden, Marin Morrell, Cora Hale, Peter Hale, Ken Yukimura, Noshiko Yukimura, Danny Mahealani, Rafael McCall, Natalie Martin, Satomi Ito, Brett Talbot and his younger sister and pack mate Lory, Meredith Walker, Deucalion, Kali, Araya Calavera and her hunters, even Gerard Argent but most importantly Melissa McCall.

Scott hoped he didn't forget any but standing at the doorway looking at his pack and allies celebrate Lydia, Malia and his graduation early in the morning at his house sure made him reminisce and look at just how far they have all come in just two and a half years. 

They lost some of their friends and allies along the way, even family, but they were still here. Those that died lived in their hearts and memories and those that left still had a home to get back to.

With that thought the True Alpha focused on the present. From where he stood he could see in the kitchen, where his mother Melissa McCall sat with Marin Morrell and Natalie Martin, having a chat, the dinning room, where Alan Deaton, Chris Argent (who returned for the celebration), Henry Tate, Noah Stilinski and Rafael McCall were playing cards.

Scott could also see in the living room where Cora Hale, Hayden Romero, Lydia Martin and Malia Tate were having their own chat, and just outside in the backyard he could hear Brett Talbot (Satomi Ito's beta who was joining Derek's team), Corey Bryant, Liam Dunbar and Mason playing lacrosse, with Brett and Corey on one team and it sounded like they were winning.

When the McCall didn't see the fifth group consisting of Derek Hale, Jordan Parrish and Jiang (another one of Satomi's betas joining Derek's team), wondered where they went. They were the group he had been with before he went to feed on blood in his room.

"They went to get something, they'll be back soon." Said Chris, walking over to the boy. "Its almost time."

"Yeah. I..." Responded the boy after thanking the man, and paused when he heard Jordan's SUV return. "They're back."

"About time." Said a happy and, if his scent said anything, anxious Stilinski, joining the two as they went outside.

Break

Free. That's how Rebekah Mikaelson felt during these past few weeks. She has been moving place to place since leaving Mystic Falls and oh, how good it felt to not have her brothers around although she did miss them and was sure Klaus was looking for her.

Sometimes she wondered how Stefan was but kept herself from checking. He was just another could-have-been-but-lied-and-betrayed and deserve her concern. With that in mind, the girl focused on enjoying her freedom, she didn't have her necklace yet but once she knew where she wanted to stay she would seek a witch to help her find it.

Break

When Chris, Noah and Scott arrived outside they found Derek, Jordan and Jiang waiting for them, nothing out of the ordinary except Jordan's car had a trailer attached to it, a single vehicle transport trailer with a covered car on top of it.

"Did you buy a new car?" Scott asked the Stilinski since he was the most anxious and excited.

"Some things cannot be bought, Scott. And this..." Answered the man, moving over to the trailer, pointing at it with his hands shaking a little. "This is one of them."

OK, that had the boy's attention, more so when the shape of the car, even covered, seemed a bit familiar.

"This, right here, Scott, is something I'm sure Stiles would have wanted you to have." Continued Noah, but that was all the McCall needed to confirm his suspicion and he couldn't help the goosebumps than ran through his body, he was just as anxious as the Stilinski now. "My wife and Stiles' mother wanted him to have it and now I want you to have it for him."

Now that hit home. When the McCall dropped off Stiles car at his house a few months ago he'd thought it would be the last time he would be inside or driving it, but this late best friend's father was giving him another chance, he was giving it to him.

"Are you sure?" Asked the boy, wanting to make sure. "I mean..."

"I'm sure." Replied the man, handing out the car keys to the True Alpha who accepted them, thanked him and exchanged a hug with the Stilinski before Derek, Jordan and Jiang helped with remove the cover over the car.

Even Derek paused once the cover was removed and the car exposed. The light blue and black 1979 Jeep CJ-5 Stiles Stilinski once drove looked all new. It still spotted the same colors but it looked brand new, repaired and upgraded, three of its visible external upgrades being a heavy duty motorcycle hitch carrier, front armour and a bit thicker frame.

"Did you...?" Inquired the Hale.

"Get it a much needed and an overdue proper repair and upgraded?" Noah competed the young man's question, sounding a bit proud. "Yes, I did. With a lot of help from both Argent and Parrish."

The car generally still looked the same but for those who knew how it looked before it was a bit different. While everyone else admired the car Scott just stood there, staring at it, overwhelmed. To think the sheriff not only gave him Stiles' car but also had it repaired and upgraded beforehand.

The True Alpha was snapped out of his overwhelmed state when he unintentionally pressed a button on the car keys and unlocked the car.

"How...?" He asked Noah, wondering just how much he spent on the car.

"I don't know much so you're going to have to ask Parrish and Argent about the details." Replied the man, while the boy opened the driver side door and the interior of the car blew his mind.

The McCall noticed the door was a bit heavier and thicker but the interior truly stood out more. It looked and felt twenty-first century with a new dashboard, new seats, covers, steering wheel and... Wait...

"Did you really include a police scanner in the upgrades?" Was Scott's disbelieving question upon seeing the scanner and the whole set up of a police vehicle, except a siren and the lights, placed well in a place that they could be concealed in a compartment..

"And bulletproof windows, armour plating and ultraviolet lights, amongst other things." Added Jordan, having chosen some of the upgrades himself.

"Ultraviolet lights?" Jiang asked.

"For vampires without sun protection." The Argent answered, having suggested the addition.

"Sheriff..."

"It's OK, Scott. I used the 'compensation' money sent to me to repair and upgrade the jeep. It was either that or let it waste away. Now, how about you get it off the trailer?" Replied the Stilinski, stepping away with the others.

Scott thanked him again before getting in the vehicle for the first time and though it felt and smelled different it felt right, like something had been missing until this moment. He took a few moments to let himself take in everything before closing the door, inserted the key into the ignition and turned it on.

Break

"Tell me you have something for me, Sofya." Lucien said to Sofya Voronova over the phone, expectation clear in his voice.

"I haven't found anything." Responded the woman.

"You know, I'm starting to wonder why you're one of the most sought after mercenaries in world. You have until an hour before the party starts and you better deliver." With that said the man cut off the phone call.

He'd thought Sofya would succeed where the others failed but it seemed like she too would fail and that made the man ask himself just who they were dealing with. It was a bit concerning even though Lucien didn't want to acknowledge.

Break

Scott felt and heard the difference when the engine of the upgraded jeep came to life roaring, he wasn't informed on cars and engines but he knew the engine installed in the jeep carried a lot of power, probably to counter the weight that came with the other upgrades.

Jordan put down the bridge before the McCall got his new car off the trailer, a goofy smile on his face as he momentarily forgot about the planned attack and rescue. That is until an alarm he'd set to alert him when it was time to leave did it's job.

"Time to leave?" Inquired Derek.

"Time to leave." Replied Scott, getting out of the car.

"And you want to take your new car." Stated the Hale.

"Definitely." Responded the boy, his smile returning.

"Whoa! Is that...?" Asked Liam, heading to the males.

"Liam!" Malia's voice interrupted the werewolf.

"I'm telling them! Malia says it's time to leave." The Dunbar delivered the message he was sent to deliver by the Alphette.

With that everyone went to say their goodbyes. Out of the twenty people that were there were seventeen leaving town, only Henry, Natalie and Noah were staying so when the goodbyes were said and done with the three left. They were followed by Rafael who had to get back to work, he had his own team to join, leaving sixteen behind.

The sixteen divided themselves into two teams, Scott's and Derek's, before they divided again into two groups each team. Group1 of Scott's team consisted of Scott, Malia, Hayden and Corey and Group2 Jordan, Chris, Marin and Melissa. Group1 of Derek's team consisted of Derek, Cora, Lydia and Mason and Group2 Deaton, Liam, Brett and Jiang.

Each person listed first in the groups was the owner and driver of the car the group was going to use so when they were all set four cars left Beacon Hills before the two teams went their separate ways, Scott's heading to New Orleans and Derek's to an airport then out of the country, Toulouse, France to exact. It was time.

Break

Elsewhere Neo Mokoena had just returned from defending a client in a court of law and won for him so she was in good spirits when she entered her office. With such a good morning start she was sure her day would be... That thought came to a halt when she found a USB flash drive on her table, and not just any flash drive but one that she was familiar with.

"Ben, did someone come into my office while I was at court?" She asked her personal assistant, picking up the flash drive she 'accidentally' dropped a while ago during a meeting with Malia Tate for the girl to acquire.

"No. As per your instruction, no one enters your office without you here or giving permission." Replied Ben, appearing at the door.

"Are you sure no one entered my office?" Pressed the woman.

"Only you and I have your office keys, Miss Mokoena. And I still have my copy on me and you just unlocked the door with yours so..." Responded the man, wondering what was going on.

"Alright. Thank you, Ben." Said the Mokoena, dismissing her assistant before focusing on the USB flash drive.

She had a bad feeling about the mysterious reappearance of the flash drive in her office and decided to check its contents. A moment after Neo inserted the memory stick into her laptop her office door was suddenly opened and in came the police, two warrants in hand. One was for searching her office and detain what they were looking for and the other her arrest. 

She knew she was doomed when she couldn't close the window for the flash drive or eject it, especially after seeing that the USB flash drive was holding much more information than before, information it wasn't supposed to have, information that could secure her a one-way ticket to jail.

As the Mokoena was being read her rights Raven3 stood watch to ensure everything went according to plan. Though his mission was to watch Attorney Neo Mokoena that was actually just a part of it, the main mission was to put together strong evidence to eliminate her as a threat to the McCall Pack and it's allies and find out who she was working with.

It was easy to gather the evidence since the woman kept records of her dealings, both legal and illegal, on her computer and even easier to get access to it and the website she hid some of the more sensitive records on.

From there the raven made copies and made sure the local police found an anonymous tip off with sufficient evidence to do their work, that is after he made copies of everything for Scott then removed everything that had links to supernatural existence.

Making copies for the True Alpha was a way to ensure that if the evidence the police suddenly disappeared they would make sure it reappears. Neo Mokoena decided to mess with their pack, a mistake on her part, now she was going to go down and take her associates with her.

His long term mission done Raven3 left, it was time he joined Derek's team.

Break

For a while now Peter Hale has been gathering intelligence on Kingmaker Land Development and it's shady true purpose and what he has seen so far has made him angry for his species. It was insulting how the humans, vampires and witches treated his kind, as though they were nothing but animals.

OK, they were part animal but the three species he mentioned weren't their superiors, not even close, so to see them act all superior reminded the Hale of everything he hated about hunters and his history with them. Once a chance presented itself he planned to free the werewolves and lead an assault on the inferiors that saw themselves as superiors.

Peter just hoped the chance would present itself on a full moon, like tomorrow. If the chance didn't present itself he would create it for his daughter's life and well-being might just depend on it, this was, after all, the place she was captured at in the vision Doctor Valack showed him.

Neo might have thought she was misleading the omega werewolf but she actually led him right where he wanted, Toulouse in France, the birthplace of Kingmaker Land Development Inc..

Interesting thing was that Toulouse had something in common with Beacon Hills, a nemeton. But unlike the one in Beacon Hills Toulouse's nemeton was still whole.

Break

Sophie Deveraux, bartender and chef at Rousseau's, came upon an interesting sight during her lunch break and visit to Jardin Gris Voodoo Shop, her friend Katie's voodoo shop. She saw Vincent Griffith leaving the shop with a paper bag and probably witchy ingredients as well.

That in itself wasn't interesting, what was was the fact that a witch who left his coven and cut off all ties to the supernatural was busy visiting a shop that sold witchy items, it definitely said that he was still practicing. They weren't friends but Sophie admired him for being brave enough to leave his coven and dare to live a normal life. 

Few dared leave their coven and though she wasn't as interested in witchcraft as everyone else or believe in the Ancestors as the covens did she didn't have Vincent's bravery to leave the coven, how could she when being a part of a coven protected her? And if she did leave the witch was sure her family would disown her.

They would also disown her and cut off her magical connection to them if they knew she went to Priest O'Connell and told him about the Harvest Ritual so that he could have it stopped even if he didn't. Oh, she was the one who told the human, the Deveraux just didn't believe in the Ancestors or understand why they had to sacrifice children.

Yes, Sophie knew they existed but they were one of the reasons she wasn't really invested in witchcraft. How could the dead have a say in what the living were doing? She just didn't get it, but back to what had her attention. The young woman changed her mind about visiting Katie and decided to ask Vincent about how it felt to not be part of a coven and maybe about his continued witchcraft practice.

There was a chance she might get fed up and leave her coven in the future so asking for insight on life outside a coven was a good idea. That good idea came to a halt, however, when Sophie was about to approach the Griffith and someone bumped into him and his paper bag fell from his hand, smiling some of its contents.

Among it's content the Deveraux saw one very important item just a moment before Vincent returned the contents in the bag and the person who bumped into him apologized although his apology was brushed off when the male witch received a call and walked away while answering it.

The item Sophie saw was a yellow wolfsbane plant, a rare wolfsbane she wouldn't have known if it wasn't for her older sister Jane-Anne Deveraux. It seemed Vincent Griffith was up to something, there was no way someone would buy such a rare and expensive plant without having specific plans for it and she was almost sure werewolves were involved.

The question now was what was she to do with the information she stumbled upon, she just hoped the man wasn't in league with the Vampire Faction like so many of her kind but there was only one way to find out more information.

Break

A moment. A moment was all it took for Rebekah to disappear into the night and never return, leaving Klaus to curse ever letting Bonnie's explosion distract him. He saw the moment she decided to leave when they briefly locked eyes, the setting couldn't have been better than it was for her to leave without him being able to stop her.

The hybrid had been too worried about his sister killing more of his hybrids in anger but she had another plan in mind, one he wasn't sure if it was better or worse. With Rebekah now out in the world he couldn't protect her. Yes, they often fought and drove each other crazy but Klaus wasn't about to let Mikael find her first and kill her to send a message to him.

He had to find her first and maybe start looking for Mikael and kill him before building his new empire. The Original Hybrid didn't want a repeat of New Orleans.

Break

Elsewhere in Mystic Falls Bonnie still couldn't believe that Elena was dead even after almost a month. Everyone felt her absence and since the witches from whom the Bennett drew power from still refused to help her with resurrections they would continue to feel her absence.

Though the hundred witches knew how powerful a doppelganger was a binding agent they said that they couldn't ignore the fact that the days leading up to Elena's death were filled with an ever rising possiblity of her being turned into a vampire and they didn't plan to resurrect the girl only for her to be another Katherine. Doppelganger-turned-vampire.

Speaking of the doppelganger-turned-vampire, Stefan was currently searching for her, although without Klaus' knowledge. The Salvatore begged Caroline to compel a few private investigators to look for Katherine and he was looking forward to finding her since she was the only person who could confirm his suspicion and provide more information.

It turned out when the Original Hybrid gave him his memories back he also revealed something, something that might just be the thing they needed to get rid of the Mikaelsons. Klaus and Rebekah were running from someone in the nineteen-twenties and that someone was almost upon them when the hybrid compelled Stefan to forget about them and ran away.

Who? He didn't know but what he did know was that there was someone out there that Klaus and Rebekah feared so much that they ran away and he was going to seek them out to help get rid off the Originals and avenge Elena who was killed two times by the half siblings. 

Bonnie just hoped they didn't regret attracting the attention of someone that even Klaus was afraid of. She knew that Stefan blamed himself for Rebekah killing Elena, she kind of blamed him as well after he told them about his history with the Mikaelsons but all this blaming and guilt wasn't going to bring Elena back, though if they weren't careful that combination could be their end.

With that in mind, the Bennett understood why Matt was leaving Mystic Falls. Baring witness to Elena's death hit them all hard and the boy couldn't take it anymore and neither could Bonnie, but she wondered if leaving would really free them from more people like Klaus, Rebekah and the Hybrid Pack that the hundred witch spirits despised.

Break 

The second thing, after resting a little, Scott did when his team arrived in New Orleans the next afternoon was to meet up with Vincent. Raven1 did his job and now it was time the McCall meet with the local witch and right afterwards he had to go to the Bayou to have a talk with Jackson before initiating the plan.

Vincent was a bit surprised when Chris Argent arrived at the agreed meeting place, an abandoned and unoccupied building in the city, with a boy around eighteen to nineteen. Sure Scott's voice sounded young on the phone but at least the man expected him to be in his early twenties, not late teenage but he waited for confirmation.

"Mr Griffith." The tribrid said in greeting once he and Chris were close but a fair distance for a first time meeting.

"You must be Scott, then." Replied Vincent.

"I am." Responded Scott, before catching a scent blown in his direction by the wind, feminine in nature and very much witch. "You didn't say anything about bringing someone with you."

"What? I didn't bring anyone with me." Denied the Griffith, looking in the direction the boy was looking in, alert, and in deed he hadn't, he did, however, wonder how Scott found the person if there was one.

Said person froze for a moment upon being discovered, wondering how she was found out when she was quietly hidden around a corner. That moment proved to be costly because it was all that was needed for the True Alpha to super speed to her position with the assistance of her scent, breath and beating heart.

One moment she was thinking of a way out and the next she found herself faced with glowing and terrifying red eyes, and she couldn't help the scream that tore out of her mouth as she instinctively tried to get away and defend herself. That scream was stopped by a quick hand covering her mouth and a choke hold from behind. 

When she struggled to free herself her captor changed his method of containing her and suddenly she felt five sharp objects around her throat, stopping the struggle.

Vincent whose guard went up even further at the speed with which Scott disappear with, assuming he was a vampire since everything pointed to that conclusion. He became a bit more cautious with Chris, assuming that he was also a vampire, a spell at the ready. In response the human brought his hand closer to his guns in case the witch tried something.

The tension was clear as they waited for the True Alpha's return and when he did return the Griffith was surprised to see who the eavesdropper was, Sophie Deveraux, but that surprise was quickly overshadowed by Scott's new features; glowing red eyes and claws. The male witch didn't know what to think anymore, he knew of no vampires who had those features so...

"What are you?" He questioned, not letting either the Argent or McCall out of his sight.

"An extraordinary being that isn't common in New Orleans. Who is she?" Replied the True Alpha, before asking.

Vincent thought about pursuing the issue but they had an uninvited guest.

"Sophie Deveraux. A bartender and chef of a bar in the French Quarter and a member of the French Quarter Coven. She usually stays out of supernatural business." Responded the man, momentarily shifting his attention to his fellow witch. "What are you doing here, Sophie?" 

Scott let go of her and returned to where he had been, shifting his eyes to their human form while retracting his claws, something neither witch missed and while the male one was still lost as to what the boy was the female had an idea.

"You're a werewolf, aren't you?" She asked instead of answering Vincent's question, addressing her question to the mysterious boy with a bit of awe and curiosity in her voice. "An evolved werewolf. My sister told me about your kind but I never believed. Until today."

Now Vincent felt left out. An... 

"Evolved werewolf?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Sometime ago some werewolves evolved to counter the vampire threat that was rapidly decreasing their numbers." Sophie began to explain, making Chris wonder if she understood her situation. "The evolved werewolves gained control over their shape-shifting ability and could shift into wolflike humans without the full moon.

Their wolflike form featured retractable claws and fangs, sideburns, canine ears and glowing eyes; either yellow or blue for betas and omegas and red for alphas. Jane-Anne said that Klaus banished them from New Orleans a long time ago and after sometime they were forgotten.

But some people made sure that future generations would know about the existence of evolved werewolves by passing down stories of their existence to younger generations."

While she was telling the story Scott made sure that no one else was around but took a pause when the name of his biological father was mentioned. He already knew that Klaus and his half siblings helped build New Orleans just as the Hales did Beacon Hills but this was new but not very surprising considering Marcel was following in their father's footsteps.

Vincent was of the same thought although he was surprised by the existence of a subspecies of werewolves and...

"Wait... Your eyes were red." He noted, looking at the revealed 'werewolf'.

The 'werewolf' sighed, they had a lot more to worry about than the colour of his eyes.

"Yes. I'm an alpha." He replied, before addressing what they should be addressing. "And as an alpha I have a pack to worry about."

With that said all three males turned their eyes in the direction of the only female present, and just like that she remembered the situation.

"I know that you came alone but does anyone know that you came here?" Asked the True Alpha, every bit of an alpha he was because he had not only his pack to worry about but the people that they planned to rescue.

Of course Sophie wasn't going to tell the truth since if she said no there was no guarantee that she might walk out of the place alive so...

"Of course! And you know it's very easy for us witches to locate people even if they go missing." She responded, not knowing that the boy wasn't looking for a verbal response but a more reliable one.

"Your heart says otherwise." Said the McCall.

"What?"

"You're lying. You didn't tell anyone that you were coming here."

"How would..."

"l already told you, your heart says otherwise. At least this makes things easier." Interrupted the alpha.

"We're not killing her." Stated Vincent, buying enough time for Sophie to quickly cast a non-verbal barrier spell that she maintained it with a hand gesture, a fist.

"Who said anything about killing her?" Asked Chris, speaking for the first time. "Don't you think if that was the goal she would be dead by now and the meeting underway? We didn't come here to take lives but to save them."

The last part caught the Deveraux's attention while she noted that her fellow witch defended her.

"But for everything to go according to plan we need to know what she knows and how she found her way here and make sure she doesn't remember anything." Continued the True Alpha. 

That cleared the air though it left the question of how they would go about the last part but the boy knew witches were capable of mind manipulation and many more feats via spells since Raven1 bought, more like stole, him a few grimoires while in the city as graduation presents.

Still, knowing that the tribrid preferred either himself or Malia to do what was necessary, not Vincent. There couldn't be room for betrayal or deception, not when the stakes were so high so...

"Hello! She can hear you." Said Sophie, cutting through the McCall's thoughts. "How about I just answer your questions and promise not to tell anyone else the little that I know? Good? OK. Now, listen up..."


	25. Chapter 25

"All I know is that I saw Vincent leaving Jardin Gris Voodoo Shop yesterday and thought about asking him for some insight on life outside a coven but something caught my attention and before long I had lost the chance to approach him." Sophie told Chris, Scott and Vincent.

"I saw him again today but interestingly enough his destination was this building, an abandoned house off the road and perfect for meetings like this one, so I got curious and followed him." She continued, reaching the conclusion. "I know nothing important about your 'plans' that requires you to erase my memories."

"Except you can identify us and you know what he is." Chris noted, and there was nothing the witch could say about that.

Vincent got a feeling the Deveraux was withholding some information, likely what happened after he left Jardin Gris Voodoo Shop. He suspected that she saw some of his purchase and that was what caught her attention and curiosity.

The only reason the other two males didn't suspect anything was probably because she didn't really lying.

The question was whether or not Sophie saw the yellow wolfsbane, something told him she did and it's what had her following him. If that was so then why she didn't and wasn't say anything about it.

"I'm sorry, um, Sophie. But we can't leave anything to chance." Said Scott, since Vincent didn't trust his fellow witches neither could they.

"You don't have to." Said male witch spoke, looking at the Argent and McCall before turning his eyes on his fellow witch. "I could use her help."

"What?" The three other occupants of the room questioned in unison.

"There's only so much I can do on my own. We could use her help. From what I heard of Sophie, though she doesn't care much for witchcraft she's talented, talented and skilled enough to be of help to either location and..." Explained the Griffith but... 

"I'm not interested." Interrupted Sophie, shaking her head. "Nope, not interested in whatever pitch you make or the details. I have a job to get back to and a party to attend later, you just need to trust that I won't say anything about this to anyone and let me go."

"We're going to knock down the Vampire Faction from their pedestal and put a stop to their inhumane activities for good." Vincent said plainly without missing a beat, and silence reigned as Chris and Scott couldn't believe what the Griffith just did while the Deveraux was shell shocked by the revelation.

Before they could react, however, they suddenly heard something hit the floor and someone appeared out of thin air by the door leading into the room. That someone was none other than Marcel Gerard's right-hand man/vampire and Katie's boyfriend Thierry Vanchure, and he looked like he'd just found gold.

"Oh, man. I can't wait to tell Marcel." With that said and before either Chris, Scott, Sophie or Vincent could react Thierry sped out of the building, intent of reporting back to his king.

The True Alpha didn't waste any time and immediately went after the eavesdropper, leaving the others to process what it would mean if he didn't catch up to the vampire. Vincent approached the item that announced Thierry's presence and picked it.

It was a simple pendent with a precious stone, a ruby, but since it helped Thierry spy on them without being detected it proved to be more than just a simple jewelry. It...

"He got away!" Came Scott's frustrated growl, earning everyone's attention while his glowing red eyes focused on Vincent, fury in them. "Do you have any idea what you just did?!"

"Not all is lost, Scott. They know about us and a part of the plan but they don't know more than that or the details." Chris jumped in before the situation got worse, his purpose was to shift the furious True Alpha's attention away from the male witch. "This might actually work in our favor but we need to leave this building before they come."

The McCall took a moment calmed himself. The man was right and he didn't really expect things to go smoothly, they never did before so why would they start now?

"Are you still not interested?" Vincent asked Sophie who had unintentionally broken her barrier spell.

That was more of a rhetorical question since she was now involved whether she wanted to be or not. If the young witch wanted to live and not have her family pay for her curiosity she had to ally herself with Vincent, Scott and Chris so she left with them, regretting ever giving in to her curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat, after all. But satisfaction brought it back, a little voice reminded her. Sophie suspected the little voice had something to do with the possibility of the Vampire Faction being thrown off their pedestal.

If all worked out and Vincent and his evolved werewolf allies, hers as well now, succeeded in bringing the vampires down a few notches she would surely be satisfied. She was tired of Lucien Castle walking around like he was a blessing to the world.  
————  
Thierry has never been so grateful to have lived in New Orleans for as many decades as he has or knowing the place like he did, for it was only his knowledge of the city that he got away from his pursuer, Scott was his name.

Another thing he was grateful for was his witch girlfriend Katie for not only telling him about Vincent's order for yellow wolfsbane but also providing him the means to spy on the meeting after following the Griffith since yesterday.

The vampire found Marcel and Lucien at the former's house, the Abattoir, and immediately revealed what he just found out and though he didn't know about the existence of evolved werewolves before today the Co-Kings of New Orleans knew about them, and Lucien from personal experience.

"I can't believe this. Did it have to be those werewolves?" Was the ancient vampire's reaction to the news, taking out his phone to call Sofya.

"So the stories are true." Said the Gerard, remembering Klaus telling him stories about evolved werewolves when he was still human.

"Get to the Abattoir right now, we have new information." Lucien told Sofya before ending the call and making another one to his right-hand Gregory. "Get the Poachers ready for a hunt. All of them."

Marcel and Thierry exchanged surprised looks at that. The Poachers was a group of vampires, specifically trained to hunt werewolf packs and had even ventured into the Bayou to get Lucien Crescent Wolf Pack werewolves.

"There's at least a pack of evolved werewolves in New Orleans right now and they are working with the witches..." Explained the Castle upon seeing their reactions but Thierry interrupted him.

"Just one witch. Vincent Griffith. He isn't even a member of a coven anymore and doesn't have ties to the Witch Faction since he severed them after his crazy wife was sent to Dowager Fauline cottage. Vincent tried to recruit Sophie to help him when he revealed what I told you but she wasn't interested." Said the young vampire.

He didn't want Katie to be associated with Vincent or his allies, something Lucien obviously intended to do by saying that they were working with witches.

"Sophie... So, I'm not the only man she refuses?" Mused the Castle.

If he never met Aurora de Martel Sophie Deveraux would have taken her place but that was not so. The thought of Aurora bought the man to why he was calling in all his hunters to hunt down the evolved werewolves. Evolved werewolves were the reason Lucien separated from the love of his life Aurora.

Centuries ago Lucien, Aurora and her older brother Tristan de Martel, collectively known as the Trinity, the very first non-original vampires with Lucien sired by Niklaus, Aurora by Rebekah and Tristan by Elijah Mikaelson, were unknowingly crossing a werewolf territory when they were attacked by them, evolved werewolves to be specific.

A single werewolf bite was all it took to kill a vampire, regardless of age, so self-preservation took over and the Castle found himself running in a different direction to the one the Martels took to escape and ever since then they haven't reunited. 

"Focus, Lucien." Was Marcel's answer to his fellow vampire's rhetorical question.

"Something tells me Camille refused to be your date for tonight." Responded Lucien.

The Gerard's silence was all the man needed to confirm his suspicion.

"What's wrong with these women turning down such fine men as us? Are they not into guys?" He asked, not understanding them.

"Maybe they're just not into vampires." Said Sofya, announcing her presence. "Or old men."

"Ouch. That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Commented Marcel, mockingly soothing his chest.

"It's the truth. You're both vampires and far older than they are."

"Well someone younger than they are has nothing but bad intentions for us and you need to eliminate him. Even Marcel is with me on this one." Lucien told Sofya, and indeed he had his fellow vampire leader's support.

"Who?" Inquired the woman although she already had her suspicions.

"Thierry said his name is Scott, a boy around eighteen to nineteen years and an evolved werewolf, alpha werewolf." And just like that Sofya felt like things were finally settling into place. "Tell Sofya everything you found out, Thierry. And take her to the abandoned house.

Once you're done inspecting the place the Poachers will be waiting for your command, Sofya. Remember, you have until an hour before the Faction Party. You can kill Scott, his pack and Vincent but if you capture the boy you'll receive a nice bonus."

Marcel added his own people to the search. The more people they had out the more ground they would cover.  
————  
A few minutes after Chris, Vincent, Sophie and Scott arrived at Scott's team's safehouse Vincent and Sophie were introduced to the team before Scott, Marin and Vincent left for the Bayou, leaving Sophie behind.

"Where are they going?" She asked since they didn't say anything and she was trying to break the ice.

"They're going to complete a part of the plan." Replied Chris, not giving much detail.

"Let's just make one thing clear." Said Malia, not liking the sudden new addition to their team as they didn't know much about her unlike Vincent who they had Raven1 keep an eye on. "If you betray us or my friends die because of you I will tear you apart and feed your remains to the birds and no one and nothing will stop me."

Being on the receiving end of a threat was nothing new to Sophie considering where she lived, even people younger than her threw threats her way when she refused to sell them alcohol at Rousseau's, being underage and all. But this was different.

The girl's threat was a statement, a guarantee delivered with confidence her peers didn't possess and it was given weight by the fury Scott displayed back at the abandoned house before Chris stepped in. It appeared...

"Now would be a good time to answer Vincent's question, Sophie." Chris' voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you still not interested?"

"Do you really think nine people are enough to take down the whole Vampire Faction?" She asked in return, let down by their underwhelming numbers.

"Ten people if you join us." Corey pointed out, not correcting her.

"Do you know what happens to people who kill vampires here?"

"We know. It's one of the reasons we're doing this." Hayden answered Sophie's question.

"Are they really going to participate?" The witch asked Chris and Melissa a question that has been on her mind since her arrival.

Corey and Hayden were like two years younger than her niece Monique Deveraux while Malia and Scott were about the same age but...

"Yes." The Argent gave a simple and straight forward answer without elaborating.

"Why?"

"Why not?" Malia returned the question, and it was clear it was a genuine question on her part. "The world would be a better place if younger people were willing to do what is right and necessary, what old people aren't willing to do. If your leaders didn't let things get this bad we wouldn't be here risking our lives to right their wrongs."

That gave Sophie pause until she realized something.

"You're not from here, are you?" She asked.  
————  
"Are you sure about this?" Asked an unsure Vincent while he, Marin and Scott got out of the McCall's new and upgraded car at the Bayou.

"We can't wait until moonrise." Replied the boy, locking the car though they didn't go deeper into the wetlands since they were waiting for their escort.

"But how are we going to talk with the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack? as a wolf?"

"You'll find out soon enough, Vincent." Said Marin.

"True Alpha McCall. Emissary Morrell." Eve greeted upon appeared from the wetlands. "Welcome."

"Thanks, Mi-Eve." The vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid returned the greeting though he corrected himself since she asked to be addressed by her given name but she refused to call him by his. "Uh, this is Vincent Griffith, the witch I told you about. Vincent this is Eve, our escort."

"The witch who wants to repair things between New Orleans werewolves and witches." Said the dormant werewolf, sizing the man up before turning back to the direction she came from. "This way."  
————  
"You must be Deputy Parrish from Beacon Hills." Assumed the head of New Orleans Police Department, addressing Jordan Parrish who went to the station as was procedure, finding the human in a meeting with someone.

"I am, sir."

"Good thing your guide and partner is right here, then. Detective Kinney, this the deputy I told you about, Deputy Parrish from Beacon Hills, California. Deputy Parrish, this is one of my best men Detective Kinney."

Detective Kinney, William "Will" Kinney, shook hands with the younger man in greeting.  
————  
Eve led the druid, tribrid and witch a bit deeper into the wetlands before they stopped at a clearing and three wolves came forth, with one in the middle and a bit ahead of the others, making his status clear, and she made the introductions.

She first introduced Scott and Vincent since Marin was already known then introduced the wolves starting with the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack followed by Mary Dumas and Oliver.

"Now that's out of the way, may we know why you asked to meet before moonrise as was agreed, True Alpha McCall?" Asked Eve after the introductions, standing by her alpha's side.

"The Vampire Faction now knows of our presence and some of our identities, including mine, so I thought it better to hold our meeting now rather than later. I need to know if we have an alliance or not before setting things into motion." Replied the True Alpha.

"Alpha Kenner has a few things he wants to discuss with you before reaching a decision." Responded the woman. "But since the moon hasn't risen yet..."

"I have a method we can use for us to have the discussion even with him in his current form." Said the McCall, before looking at Vincent and the Crescent Wolf Pack intently. "I share this information with you to show good faith, trust and hope for a genuine alliance between us and ask that you keep it to yourselves."

That peaked Vincent and the Pack's interest and they agreed to keep whatever the True Alpha shared to themselves before he continued.

"There is an ancient ritual used by experienced alphas of my kind to mind meld with other people." Revealed Scott, showing his hands for all to see while he protracted his claws. "It requires an evolved alpha werewolf to insert their claws into the base of a recipient's skull and link their minds, allowing a form of telepathy.

But as simple as it sounds it's a skill that requires practice, experience and knowledge because if done wrong the recipient could be paralyzed. Or killed."

Marin noticed that he didn't tell everyone about the consequences of having the mind melding ritual broken by outside forces, which was either paralysis for both the recipient and alpha, or reveal everything about the abilities the ritual granted the alpha and she approved.

"So you're asking my alpha to risk his life and allow you to perform the ritual?" Asked an unamused Eve, crossing her arms and Vincent understood her.

From what the boy said the ritual was quite dangerous and could result in death of the recipient and if that happened the Crescent Wolf Pack would lose an alpha. 

"I'm asking your alpha to have faith in me and show the trust and hope I showed you by telling you one of my species' trade secrets." Said the True Alpha looking Jackson in the eye to show just how serious he was, before looking at Vincent in the same manner as well. "I'm also asking you to do the same."

"Me?" Questioned Vincent.

"Yes. We both need to talk with the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack and time is running out." Answered Scott.  
————  
"The great storm has arrived, Agnes." A worried Regent Josephine LaRue told Agnes, a fellow witch who was just a fortune teller to the general world but the Elder (leader) of the French Quarter Coven to the supernatural world. "The Ancestors felt it arrive in New Orleans a while ago and have been trying to see where it is but it's well hidden."

"Hidden from the Ancestors?" Asked a troubled Agnes, not liking the sound of that at all.

"Yes. They can just feel it's presence but everything else is hidden. I have a bad feeling about the Faction Party, we need to be alert."  
————  
Jackson and Vincent thought over their decision. The latter knew part of the plan and knew that time really was running out. The former was cautious though he was glad that the witch was just finding out about everything the same time he was and had to make the same decision at short notice like him so...

"Can you guarantee that nothing will go wrong with the ritual if I agree to it?" Asked the Griffith, wanting assurance.

"The first time I performed this ritual was over a year and a half ago just a moment after getting a crash course on it and it was under very tense and stressful circumstances with two recipients and everything went well. I've done it a few more times since then and nothing has gone wrong." Said the McCall, giving them reason to trust him.

"I wouldn't be suggesting it if I wasn't confident about it but I'm going to have to ask you (Vincent) to cast a barrier spell around us so that we're not disturbed." He concluded. "You don't have to agree to do it, though. I have complete faith in my emissary to discuss everything with you while I set things in motion. We can talk afterwards."

Marin could understand what her brother Alan saw in the boy, he kept proving to her that she made the right decision to join his pack as Malia's primary emissary and his secondary. He... Her thoughts were interrupted when the she-wolf Eve introduced as Mary Dumas suddenly began to growl at Scott, looking as though she smelled something she didn't like and indeed she didn't.

The wind had been blowing Scott, Marin and Vincent's scents away from her direction until now and out of the three guests she recognized the boy's scent. It was a scent she could never forget because it was unique to only one werewolf pack, the North East Atlantic Pack, a rival pack of the Crescent Wolf Pack and not the friendly kind of rivalry.

But Scott's scent wasn't just that of any member of the North East Atlantic Pack but that of their main royal bloodline, the Ansells, named after one of their most beloved and oldest known alpha Ansel who they believe fathered a son with a powerful witch and their son became something extraordinary.

Mary had this specific royal bloodline's scent memorized after one of their members killed one of her older brothers over three decades ago during what was called the Alpha Pack Throne War since the Crescent Wolf Pack and North East Atlantic Pack were direct descendants of Lycaon and his oldest son, respectively.

The story was that King Lycaon had more children after the druids helped him and his sons, by binding their curse to the full moon, and after he died his oldest son Prince1.0, firstborn before the curse, became king but Prince2.0, firstborn after the curse, claimed he was the rightful king.

Prince2.0 tried to take the throne from his older half brother with the help of his born werewolf half siblings, Lycaon's children born after the curse, but failed to do so when his cursed werewolf half siblings, Lycaon's children born before the curse and cursed along with Lycaon, banded together to support their older and fellow cursed brother.

Since then there has been animosity between Lycaon (Prince2.0) and Prince1.0's bloodlines even after their deaths. The Alpha Pack Throne War was just one of many wars between the Crescent Wolf Pack and North East Atlantic Pack sustained and driven by a long line of vendettas. One such vendetta being Mary's desire to avenge her brother's death.

That desire and the approaching full moon just amplified everything especially with Scott being in their territory and the Dumas wasn't the only one who identified the McCall's scent as that of a rival bloodline and although Jackson and Oliver didn't have much encounters with the North East Atlantic Pack Scott's scent put them off.

Their trusted elder and Jackson's maternal grandmother's reaction to him sure didn't help things, it encouraged their instinctive need to show dominance over the werewolf tribrid so they joined Mary's growls and began to stalk him, with the Kenner taking lead and a clear plan to separate him from his companions, letting their instincts lead them.

Eve, however, was confused and alarmed at the sudden hostility towards the True Alpha, and so were Marin, Scott and Vincent although the McCall didn't like to be bullied by the wolf trio nor did he like the way they were stalking him like a prey and so he returned their threatening growls with one of his own, eyes glowing alpha red though he was careful to maintain his werewolf scent as the primary one.

"Get back!" He told his companions, not taking his eyes off the hostile wolves, and his emissary followed his instruction while the Griffith went along with her. "I don't want to fight you!"

The McCall's words didn't seem to have any effect on the advancing trio who were waiting for him to show weakness for them to attack but he wasn't about to show any. Malia made sure that he knew how things worked in the wild and he wasn't about to disappoint her and the lessons she taught him even in her absence.

The problem was that there was a big mission to carry out soon and he didn't want bad blood between himself, his pack and the Crescent Wolf Pack. A lot of the plan to attack the research base and free the captives depended on the local werewolves' help and they couldn't afford to lose their help so... 

Before any fight could occur the True Alpha super sped to Eve who hadn't expected to be his target and quicker than she or her pack mates could react the tribrid had his longer and thicker than usual claws around her throat, his werewolf form complete and Marin was a little taken aback by its appearance and so was everyone.

Though Scott's transformation was generally typical of werewolf forms his werewolf tribrid form consisted of a heavier brow and facial structure that was more wolf than human with brighter than usual alpha red eyes but what drew everyone's attention was his skin which displayed black-gray ripples running all over his exposed skin; facial, neck and arms.

It was the first time the Morrell saw it and she had to say, the boy was maturing well and had even evolved to show his acceptance of what and who he was.

"If you want a fight it'll just be between you and I." The transformed True Alpha growled out, staring straight into wolf-Jackson's yellow wolf eyes. "If you win you'll get whatever you want but if I win you'll accept the alliance I proposed and submit to me on behalf of the Crescent Wolf Pack."

Scott didn't know why he added the submit part but he went with it and neither member of the Crescent Wolf Pack liked the sound of submitting to the boy, none more so than Mary who fully understood what that would mean if Jackson lost. The Crescent Wolf Pack would be submitting to a member of the North East Atlantic Pack and they would have a new alpha.

Jackson thought over his decision. It was obvious the Alpha of the McCall Pack was faster than he was but speed wasn't all there was to a fight and there was a lot to gain if he won, when he won, decided the alpha. As long as he defeated Scott McCall he would get whatever he wanted and he would get to make the boy regret using a member of his pack to bargain.

But since the True Alpha had a speed advantage... The Kenner accepted the challenge by nodding his head, and Eve vocalized his acceptance, despite noticing that his most trusted advisor Mary Dumas was against his decision. After Scott let go of Eve, who didn't have a scratch on her neck, Jackson raised his head high and called upon his pack, his advantage.

While the McCall had speed as his advantage the traditional werewolf's was going to be his pack's presence, something Scott didn't see coming. He knew what the presence of one's pack did to a werewolf, the morale, the boost they gave. 

Marin and Eve agreed to let Vincent oversee the fight since they had personal attachments to the participants and this would be a test run of a potential alliance.

A moment after the Crescent Wolf Pack wolves arrived, eyes on the one who dared challenge their alpha, the True Alpha suddenly heard footsteps heading their way, a lot of footsteps that were running in their direction.

"Don't worry. It's just the rest of the triggered werewolves, New Orleans packs that weren't cursed. They come to the Bayou during full moons so they probably heard the howl. They also came to hear the decision." Eve explained to the alarmed Marin, Vincent and Scott as the uncursed werewolves reached the clearing.

Once everyone settled Vincent stood between Scott and Jackson, hiding just how nervous he was to be surrounded by so many werewolves, triggered werewolves, and he wasn't alone, so were Scott and Marin.

"This is a challenge between the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack Jackson Kenner and the Alpha of the McCall Pack Scott McCall. If the former wins he will get whatever he wants from the latter but if the latter wins the former will accept the latter's proposed alliance and submit to him on behalf of his pack, that is what they agreed on.

To ensure that the fight is fair and square and no one interferes I'll cast a one-way barrier spell around the opponents until one is victorious via submission or leaving the barrier which will also be counted as submission." Said the Griffith but before he could cast the spell Scott began to undress, drawing looks from everyone.

Marin resisted the urge to facepalm as it seemed the McCall was taking after Malia while approaching the boy to collect his clothes. While he undressed the ripples became more visible throughout his body but the audience didn't get much of a show because Scott immediately and smoothly shape-shifted into his dark brown wolf form after undressing.

His fellow werewolves envied how smooth, controlled and far less painful his transformation was while Mary wondered how a traditional werewolf could also be an evolved werewolf, it was impossible. Unless... Unless he was a hybrid of both, something that many people tried their best to prevent from existing, especially vampires.

One such vampire being Klaus, though he was a hybrid himself he wasn't interested in letting traditional and evolved werewolves reproduce probably in fear of their bite being strong enough to kill his siblings so he killed and banished evolved werewolves from New Orleans, leaving future generations to think them a myth.

But it seemed like one such hybrid was born and his parents were wise enough to keep his existence a secret, probably the reason he went by McCall instead of Ansell. If she wasn't so observant and she didn't know the unique scent of the North East Atlantic Pack she wouldn't have been about to find out what he was. 

With Marin out of the way and two wolves now facing each other, exchanging barks and snarls and looking for weaknesses in each other, stalking one another, Vincent cast the one-way barrier spell before he left it and began the fight.

Wolf-Scott immediately charged wolf-Jackson who made a charge of his own but they both changed direction at the last moment, at least that's what Jackson wanted Scott to think so once the McCall changed direction the Kenner quickly ran after him but the boy became aware that the other wolf was tailing him and picked up his speed.

Jackson gave chase and Scott led him in zigzags, trying to lose him but once he set a predictable sequence he mislead the older wolf with a pattern of left, right, left, right, left, left. While the Kenner corrected himself the McCall charged him once again but this time he didn't change direction, initiating a fast paced bite battle between the two soundtracked by snarls and grunts. 

They were both aiming to bite the other wolf's shoulders and flanks and nose to force a submission and though it was obvious wolf-Jackson was more experienced with such fights wolf-Scott was creative and resourceful, using unconventional ways and hit-and-runs Malia taught him to deliver blows and scratches to his more experienced opponent's body.

The bark-howls and encouragement from the Crescent Wolf Pack and New Orleans werewolves gave Jackson a boost in morale while they served to distract Scott but he pushed on until he accidentally fractured one of Jackson's front legs with his own front leg when the older wolf tried to scratch his chest, causing the Kenner to howl in pain, the sharp pain momentarily distracting him.


	26. Chapter 26

The distraction was all Scott needed to go in for the kill and clamped his canine teeth around the neck of the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack, forcing Jackson to immediately submit before the fangs could break his skin by laying down and exposing his underside while whimpering since it was either that, another serious inquiry or death.

He had a duty to continue his bloodline as the last member of the Kenners and Crescent Wolf Pack royalty and he couldn't do that if he died, his death would mean the death of an ancient bloodline of werewolves and he couldn't let that happen so he took defeat over extinction.

Upon Jackson's submission the Crescent Wolf Pack and the triggered New Orleans werewolves went silent while they waited to see if Scott would accept his submission and let him live or kill him. Marin hoped the boy wasn't lost in the heat of battle and didn't kill the man, they needed him to lead the Crescent Wolf Pack into battle.

Since Vincent divulged his knowledge of the best time to strike they changed their plans a bit and...

The True Alpha let go of wolf-Jackson's neck, accepting his submission and allowing everyone to release a sigh of relief and what accounted as such for the wolves although their alpha's loss soon registered and what it meant for everyone.

Jackson lost the fight and submitted to the Alpha of the McCall Pack on behalf of the Crescent Wolf Pack, as agreed, meaning the Kenner had to formerly relinquish his alpha status and either become a beta or leave the pack while they all had to accept a new leader, a new alpha.

For Mary Dumas, however, this meant more than that since she had to facilitate the transfer of power as the Elder of the Crescent Wolf Pack. It meant she had to crown a royal member of their rival pack the North East Atlantic Pack as the new Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack.

Though she wasn't thrilled she realized something, something very important and beneficial for her pack, maybe even the New Orleans Werewolf Community as a whole.

The True Alpha's howl of victory brought the she-wolf out of her thoughts as it rang throughout the Bayou, signaling a new reign and the Crescent Wolf Pack had no choice but to accept their new alpha and honor the agreement their defeated alpha Alpha Jackson Kenner made and not dishonor it or him so their howls joined their new alpha's, along with Jackson's.

Marin suddenly felt goosebumps ran throughout her body in response to the howls her young alpha led. She could feel them deep in her bones and... That gave her pause, realizing what that meant. The Crescent Wolf Pack was accepting Scott as their new alpha.  
————  
Malia's words stuck with Sophie and she couldn't get them out of her mind. The girl said something that she has been thinking about since her teenage years through her frustration with how things were in New Orleans.

The world indeed be a better place if younger people were willing to do what was right and necessary and she had an opportunity to be part of a union of younger people willing to do the right and necessary thing to make the world a better place. The Deveraux didn't know their plans but she was convinced to join them.

Though she wasn't close to Vincent she knew that he wouldn't associate with people who had bad intentions, especially after what happened with his wife and what he said when he revealed their goal, plus Argent said that they were here to save lives.

"Alright. I'm in." Said Sophie, not wanting to over think her decision.

"Come again?" Asked Melissa.

"I'm in! Whatever you have planned, I'm in." Clarified the young woman.

"Yes! I won't have to erase your memories." Came Malia's happy comment.

Mind melding wasn't her favorite alpha ability but Scott was adamant about her mastering it so though she was able to perform the ritual she didn't enjoy it. There was a reason it wasn't overly popular even among experienced alphas, actually reasons.

"You-Wha..." Reacted a puzzled witch.

"Don't worry about it. You're safe." The Alphette absentmindedly assured, too relieved.

Before anything could be said the Tate suddenly felt a rush of power run through her body while her eyes involuntarily glowed a bright alpha red. Though she was too far to hear Scott's howl she was familiar with what she was currently experiencing and knew that he had something to do with the sudden power influx. 

She wasn't the only one who was experiencing the power influx, so were Hayden and Corey, and the former's eyes also involuntarily glowed although a bright beta yellow.

For the first time ever Corey felt something happen with his eyes a moment before his vision took on a teal tint, and unbeknownst to him, his eyes physically changed as well and glowed teal, to Chris and Melissa's surprise, before a teal lightning struck the chimera, somehow, and he disappeared.

It happened so fast that no one could react and when what just happened registered a second teal lightning struck inside the house once again but on top of a table and with it Corey reappeared, looking confused.

"What is going?!" Exclaimed Sophie, voicing everyone's thought.

"Wha-What am I doing on top of the table?" Asked the Bryant, eyes still teal before taking their human color, as confused as everyone.

"You were hit by lightning." Chris found his voice first, disbelief clear in his voice. "Twice. (sounding like a question)"

"Twice." Hayden and Malia confirmed in unison.

Corey jumped of the table and landed on the floor, hand on the table to steady himself.

"You disappeared with the first lightning." Said Melissa, approaching the boy to check if he was alright. "Are you OK?"

"I dis..." The chimera didn't get to finish his question because teal smoke suddenly exploded from under his hand and when it cleared the table was gone.

He was saved from falling at the loss of balance by the McCall who was close enough by that time and everyone stared at the empty spot the table once occupied.

"What did you do?" Questioned Malia with an accusing tone.

"I didn't do anything!" Corey quickly replied.

"You did something, I saw it. A moment before the table poofed your eyes glowed teal." Revealed the alpha, but the surprise in her beta said that he had no idea what he did. "You have no idea what you just did, do you?"

"No. I-I just... I..."

"It's OK, Corey. Just sit, calm down and tell us." Melissa said motherly, calming the boy.

"I-I can't explain it."

"So, this is new?" Sophie inquired.

"It's definitely new." Replied Hayden, not knowing what to think.

"Do it again." Instructed Malia, contemplating.

"What?" Questioned Corey, and everyone but Chris looked at her like she was crazy. "I don't know..."

"Just hold that chair and make it poof." She repeated.

"Think about what you thought about and felt when you made the table disappear, Corey." The Argent advised, contemplating as well. "Visualize the chair disappearing."

Melissa backed away, not wanting to accidentally be the one who disappears if the Bryant succeeded, an action the others did as well.

Corey closed his eyes, trying to remember if he thought or felt anything when the table disappeared but he didn't remember anything so he visualized as the Argent advised, picturing the poof Malia talked about with his hand on an empty chair, having learned his lesson, and just like that it disappeared in a cloud of teal smoke.

They all stared at the results, amazed.

"What kind of a werewolf are you?" Asked Sophie, looking at the boy with curiosity.

"The special kind." Malia answered for her pack mate, drawing a smile out of him and Hayden. "Do you think you can make them reappear like you did?"

"Make what reappear?" Melissa asked, confused.

"You know, the... The..." The Tate appeared to become confused herself.

"The table and chair." Corey answered, although he too wasn't sure if he was correct, and got a feeling that getting whatever he erased? to reappear would be a very bad idea. "I don't think that's a good idea. I get a feeling it's actually a very bad idea."

After a moment Malia, Corey, Chris, Hayden, Melissa and Sophie forgot all about the table and chair although they wondered why there wasn't a table in the center of the empty chairs.

"Well, it doesn't matter. We now know that you can make things disappear, and maybe vampires as well." Said Malia, receiving a look from the others although they couldn't argue that the Bryant's new ability was useful. "Don't look at me like that. Maybe it would be like a jail or something and all those vampires will keep each other company."  
————  
Jordan, who had just left the police station, was driving to the safehouse when Cerberus warned him of a power influx before he felt it along with his eyes involuntarily shifting to their fiery color, a brighter than usual fiery color due to the power influx.

The Parrish has felt a power influx before, when he joined the McCall Pack, so he was familiar with it. He wondered what was happening at the meeting between Scott, Marin, Vincent and the Crescent Wolf Pack. Jordan got off the road to wait out the power increase and take sometime to calm himself before continuing.  
————  
Derek's team had arrived in Toulouse and were currently waiting for the go ahead to begin their mission. Peter had been surprised when they knocked on his door to recruit him, especially when Derek told him Scott was leading his own team in New Orleans. Now that impressed the man.

It appeared his beta took his vision very seriously and did what was needed to be done to protect his pack, what his late sister Talia Hale didn't have the guts to do with the Argents, act before the enemy acted. It was a big relief for Peter because he now new and was assured that his daughter was...

That thought was cut off when Lydia started to act strange and the man didn't waste anytime to approach her, she was a banshee, after all.

"What is it, Lydia? What do you hear?" He asked, hoping she wasn't predicting their deaths while gaining everyone's attention.

"Howls. A lot of wolf howls." Replied the Martin absentmindedly. "And Scott's is leading them, along with Malia's."

While Brett and Jiang had no idea what was going on the rest did though they didn't fully understand. Alan suspected that the McCall Pack was going to expand soon and when he suddenly felt goosebumps run throughout his body and his eyes glowed a bright druid white he knew he was right.

His suspicion was proven correct when he saw Liam's eyes glow a bright beta yellow, but to his surprise though not really, Cora and Derek's eyes glowed a brighter shade of their respective colors as well, identifying them as members of the McCall Pack.

"The McCall Pack just recruited." Revealed the druid, happy with the Hale siblings' inclusion into the pack although wondering what was happening in New Orleans.  
————  
As the howls died down the Crescent Wolf Pack werewolves bowed before the True Alpha who still had his head raised, savoring the moment, even the reluctant Mary Dumas. The triggered New Orleans werewolves knew in that moment that the New Orleans Werewolf Community just had a new leader crowned and wondered if it was the True Alpha Eve has been telling them about.

When wolf-Scott finally lowered his head he turned his attention back to wolf-Jackson and began to lick the wounds he inflicted on the older he-wolf with his claws, having never really bitten Jackson during their fight in fear of doing to him what he did to Malia's biological mother the Desert Wolf Corrine Etoyoc.

The McCall had never actually feed directly from the source in people since that one time because he didn't want to turn people, hence he always carried his pocket flasks. After licking the wounds, while resisting his blood thirst, Scott shifted into his complete werewolf form just as the last of his own wounds healed, drawing looks once again, then siphoned Jackson's pain into himself to help with the healing process.

If Marin Morrell was impressed before then now she was blown away. She knew that the boy probably didn't realize it but he was displaying all the characteristics of a competent alpha and unintentionally showing everyone that he wasn't just an alpha because of the color of his eyes.

With all the nerves she felt before gone the Morrell approached the McCall and Kenner to give the former his clothes back after Vincent declared the winner, officially ending the fight.

"Thanks." Said Scott once he was done with siphoning Jackson's pain and his emissary gave him his clothes back, dressing.

A second later his alarm went off, signaling that it was time for him to initiate the plan, only realizing now that the full moon was just about to rise with a half hour left before nightfall and one and a half hour before the Faction Party starts.

"It's time for me to leave." The True Alpha told wolf-Jackson, Eve and Vincent. "Marin will finalize and tell you everythin..."

He was interrupted by the sounds, screams, groans and growls along with bones shifting as well as muscles, of werewolves involuntarily shape-shifting with the rise of the full moon, the Crescent Wolf Pack shifting to their human forms like the rest took their wolf forms, tearing their clothes.

Vincent immediately cast a barrier spell around himself for protection while Marin had mountain ash at the ready.

"You're not going anywhere, young man." Those were Mary Dumas' first words to Scott after she finished her transformation, approaching his position. "We have a ritual to perform."

"What?" Questioned a confused tribrid.

"You demanded submission from the Crescent Wolf Pack if you won the challenge, did you not? Well, you won and now we have to perform the Unification and Transference of Power and Status Ritual to crown you as the new Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack." Replied the Dumas, surprising the boy.

"I..." He tried to get himself out of whatever (he got himself in) was going on but Marin interrupted him, familiar with the ritual although she has never performed it.

"Isn't soil from his territory needed for the ritual?" She asked to buy him some time.

"Ah, I see you know of our ways." Said Mary, eyeing the young woman carefully as she seemed to know more their ways. "It is. I'm sure you didn't bring any but my dear Eve loves to collect soil from the places she visits so that wont be a problem."

"We'll be back." Those were Scott's words before he disappeared with Marin, knowing that Vincent was occupied with Eve keeping him company.

He made sure to put a good distance between himself and his emissary before he stopped in a clearing somewhere in the wetlands and held on to a dizzy druid who not a second after their stop showed signs of vomiting and he positioned her to do just that without messing them, holding her hair back.

"What was that, Scott?!" She exclaimed afterwards, tidying up with a wiper she kept in hand. 

"I'm sorry, but I needed to get away and get an explanation of what's going on." Replied the McCall, panicking. "What ritual were you talking about?"

The woman sighed, taking a moment to calm herself. As far as Scott has come since she first saw him he still had so much to learn.

"You basically challenged the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack, in his territory, with the terms that if he lost he had to submit to you on behalf of his pack, essentially give up his alpha status to you. He lost and you won so he and his pack have to honor the agreement and not back out or dishonor the pack name and their defeated alpha.

You can't back out either since you're the one who issued the challenge, especially with all those witnesses, and we can't buy some time to come up with a reasonable excuse to decline your reward and compensate the pack since they want to honor the agreement and perform the ritual right now." Explained the druid, and could tell the boy didn't like what he was hearing.

"The Unification and Transference of Power and Status Ritual is a ritual performed to do just as its name states." She began to explain the ritual. "Unify two or more packs into one and transfer the alpha status to only one alpha since there wouldn't be a need for multiple alphas in a unified pack, kind of like how Malia is an alpha but she's still your beta.

The Alpha Pack worked the same way too; Deucalion was the alpha of the pack, Kali and Ennis betas and Aiden and Ethan omegas. If this is troubling you so much, why did you issue the challenge in the first place?"

Ah, and there it was, the question the vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid asked himself as well.

"I, I don't know." He gave his reply, accompanied by a pathetic shrug, causing the Morrell to give him a look. "I really have no idea. Maybe I was thinking about what Deaton once told me. Back when the Alpha Pack was in Beacon Hills to recruit Derek and I Derek and his pack wanted to attack the Alpha Pack and kill Deucalion but I was against that plan.

The Alpha Pack was a pack of alphas, killing Deucalion wasn't going to do anything but possibly place someone else who was more aggressive than Deucalion like Kali and Ennis as the new lead alpha, that was if they managed to kill Deucalion and not get themselves killed instead, so I consulted Deaton about it.

Deaton told me not to stop them, but lead them. The Werewolf Faction as a whole has been holding in their anger at the Vampire Faction and Witch Faction for two decades, two long decades, watching as the Vampire Faction grew stronger while attacking them at irregular times to kidnap their pack mates. What do you think would happen if we just let them join us?"

"A massacre." Responded Marin, noticing that the more Scott thought about it the clearer his decision to ask for the Crescent Wolf Pack's submission became.

"Exactly. And they wouldn't listen to us if we try to make them see reason since they don't really know us, unless..."

"Unless the Crescent Wolf Pack submits to you." Completed the woman, seeing his point. "Well, they don't seem to have a problem with accepting you as their new alpha."

"But I can't be..."

"What did you say just now?"

The True Alpha sighed in defeat. It was either he became the new Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack and unified it with his own, the McCall Pack, or he let the werewolves take out their fury on innocent people, neither option was without consequences and repercussions, responsibilities.

"There's more to the ritual they want to perform." Marin revealed, gaining her alpha's attention once more. "It doesn't just unify packs but their powers and abilities as well. If you go ahead with it the Crescent Wolf Pack will become evolved werewolves while your pack will gain a lot more control, a trait the Crescent werewolves possess even in their wolf forms to a greater extent than all the other packs.

Your pack will probably also gain the ability to shape-shift into their animal forms"

"Whoa." Was the surprised Scott's response, although the control part made him wonder why Jackson, Mary and Oliver didn't display it earlier but he had an important reminded to deliver to his emissary. "You know, It's not just my pack, It's also yours, our pack."

"I know, Scott. But I'm trying to look at things from an objective point, right now. If I wasn't I probably wouldn't have noticed how Mary seemed enthused to begin the ritual, too enthused for a woman who was growling at you and against the challenge." Replied the suspicious druid. "She seemed a bit cautious when she learned that I know about the ritual."

"You think she's up to something?"

"I'm certain she's up to something."  
————  
When Marin and Scott returned they found everything set up for the ritual but they noticed that none of the werewolves left the clearing, if anything they were all surrounding the clearing with the center occupied by Mary, Jackson and a couple of wolves that made up the count of the packs present, seven including the Crescent Wolf Pack. 

"Welcome back." Mary welcomed back the Alpha and Emissary of the McCall Pack. "We prepared everything for the ritual in your absence and the rest of the Bayou Packs, all werewolf packs that make up the New Orleans/Bayou Werewolf Community, have decided to follow our alpha's example and have their alphas renounce their alpha status for you to become the Alpha of the entire Werewolf Faction."

And just like that the druid was proven right and the tribrid couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.

"I can't believe this." He said to himself, still chuckling.

Did the woman know what being an alpha was like? Not an advisor to one but the actual alpha of a pack? The True Alpha doubted that she did.

"Do you find this funny?" Questioned an unamused Dumas.

"Funny? You think I think this is funny?" Asked the McCall, his chuckle coming to a halt as he became serious. "Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do? The kind of responsibilities you want me to take? I have a pack, I know exactly what it means to be an alpha, what it feels like to be responsible for a whole community.

My Pack, my friends and I have protected Beacon Hills since we were sixteen. We've lost some of our friends along the way before they could even finish high school and now it's our responsibility, my responsibility to ensure that we live the life that they can't live. It's my responsibility to make sure that everyone in my pack has the semi-normal life we have been fight for.

I have to give them hope, hope that we didn't have a few years ago, hope that they won't all die before graduating from high school and actually getting into college. As much as becoming the Alpha of the entire New Orleans/Bayou Werewolf Faction sounds tempting, I know what it means. It means giving up..."

"You don't have to give up anything." Jackson interrupted, knowing that if he didn't Scott would give even more valid and relatable reasons to turn down the offered position. "You can continue with your original plans as the Alpha of the New Orleans/Bayou Faction by appoint a regent."

Mary couldn't believe that they had to convince the boy to become their alpha, she found it ridiculous. A lot of werewolves would give just about anything to be in his position and yet he didn't seem to want it. To think he was a true alph... The woman's thoughts came to a halt.

The boy standing before her was of royal bloodline, a direct descendent of Prince1.0 and a true alpha, the rarest of canine shape-shifters. And for a reason. Alpha Labonair used to be fixated with true alphas, believing them to be named that in the literal sense as direct descendents of either King Lycaon and Prince2.0 or Prince1.0, the rightful ruling bloodline and pack, hence there was only one at a time.

If the late Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack was right, that would mean the North East Atlantic Pack was the rightful ruling bloodline and pack, and that would mean Scott McCall of the Ansell werewolf royal bloodline was the rightful king of all werewolves, the True Alpha of the Werewolf Community as a whole.

The Dumas didn't like that possibility, she didn't, and she was going to keep it to herself.

Scott exchanged looks with Marin, having a silent conversation, their private conversation still fresh in both their minds.

"Why are you so persistent about this?" The McCall finally asked, looking at Jackson while the Morrell fixed her sight on Mary.

The answer would determine whether or not the tribrid accepted the position they were offering him and unite their packs into one and the Kenner could see it. His answer was a deciding factor.

"Uh... The Unification and Transference of Power and Status Ritual is an ancient ritual used to unite packs. There are variations to it but their ultimate purpose is to unite packs and allow unique traits of each pack to be shared with the others and produce a stronger and united pack." Explained Jackson. "If we go ahead with the ritual all our packs will be united as one.

We will become evolved traditional werewolves with control over our transformation and no longer bound to the full moon like we currently are and your pack will be able to fully transform into wolves, at least the werewolves are guaranteed that ability, I don't know about the other species.

Apart from that we will all gain each others unique pack traits. The Crescent Wolf Pack possess greater control in wolf form than any other pack while the Paxon Pack has greater control in human form, making them the most peaceful outside a full moon.

All these packs followed me but we didn't perform the ritual because of the curse placed on my pack. We've all agreed to perform it now knowing that it'll benefit all of us. The size of the pack alone will keep rival packs, vampires and factions from messing with us and keep hunters at bay while we reclaim and reestablish our place in the city.

You understand what it means to be an alpha, to have a whole pack, a whole community depend on you, to look to you for hope. I know and understand that very well too, the pressure and responsibilities, but right now you are our only hope for a semi-normal life and you hold a better future for more than one hundred people. That is why I'm so persistent."

Once again, responsibilities, Scott resisted the urge to groan in exasperation.

'Francesca Guerrera was called while you were away, True Alpha. They asked her to draw up "Pledge of Fealty" contracts for this ritual and bring them here. She's almost there with them. I made sure nothing is amiss. It seems our emissary's presence ruined any chances of underhanded tactics.' Raven1 told the True Alpha, having had a bird keep an eye on them.

'Thanks, Raven1.' Responded the boy, relieved.

"Fine. I'll accept your offer." The McCall told the werewolves, to their relief, a moment before Francesca arrived.

"I'm not late, am I?" Was the Guerrera's greeting, arriving with four companions.

"No. You're just in time." Replied the tribrid, watching as she gave Mary the briefcase that was holding the contracts.

With the arrival of the Pledge of Fealty contracts the ritual began. Mary had each alpha, including Scott and Francesca, pour their territory's soil into a bowl, the wolves did that by pushing the soil into the bowl with their front legs and afterwards they had they had to sacrifice some of their blood, mixing it with the soil and special herbs to create a paste.

The Dumas then used the paste to draw the triskele symbol on each of the alphas' foreheads and the Pledge of Fealty contracts drawing each of the alphas' pack symbols on one side of the triskele and on the other the McCall Pack's, with only Scott having one symbol, his own, before an alpha symbol was drawn on the other side.

Mary had the alphas make hand prints on the contract before the paste dried, paw prints for the wolves, then had all the alpha face Scott.

"Do you renounce your alpha status and accept True Alpha Scott McCall to be your alpha? If so, bow before him and submit to him." She asked the alphas.

They did as she asked before she turned her attention to the McCall.

"Do you welcome their submission and accept to be their alpha? If so, mark them with your scent and lead the celebration." 

Scott approached each of the alphas and hugged them before he raised his head high and dug deep into his being before releasing the deepest and longest howl he has ever done, shaking the trees and causing any animals that were still in the vicinity to vacate. But that wasn't the end of it.

A second howl joined his, sounding audibly far but they all still heard it, Marin and Scott recognized it as Malia's, and like a chain of events more howls joined it. The dawn was filled with wolf howls originating from the Bayou and New Orleans, audible to all but mostly vampires because of their super hearing. No one could make out where they came from exactly but they all heard them.

Vincent who had been watching the ritual take place with Eve was in awe and wonder until his companions eyes glowed a bright beta yellow before she too joined her fellow werewolves' howls of celebration and backed away to be safe.

Over in Toulouse Peter, Brett and Jiang witnessed the same sight with Derek, Cora, Alan and Liam while Lydia and Mason experienced goosebumps like none they ever had before. Sophie experienced the same situation at the safehouse with the arrival of Jordan Parrish and quickly cast a barrier spell around herself, not knowing what was happening.

When the howls faded, and the paste hid and merged with the alpha, former alphas and their contracts, a red eyed True Alpha Scott McCall turned his sight on his new pack mates, his new betas who looked to their new alpha with glowing beta blue and yellow eyes, all in their new werewolf forms, Marin's druid white looking to him as well and he could feel them all. 

"From this moment on, we are collectively known as the New Beacon Pack. We are not the Werewolf Faction but a family of supernaturals and non-supernaturals, and when we leave here our purpose is not to bring terror to New Orleans but restore balance." Said the new Alpha of the New Beacon Pack, but he wasn't done.

"Anyone who disobeys my commands, disrespects the people I put in charge or goes on a senseless killing spree will be stripped off their abilities, indefinitely, all of them, along with whoever witnesses their actions but doesn't stop them. We're predators, we don't kill for sport.

This is our one chance to make a good and not typical first impression. This is the one chance we have to not be seen as senseless monsters who kill everything in our sight but as a united pack of people who will help build New Orleans, make it better and not tear it apart.

Let's be a beacon for the Faction and show them a better New Orleans, a New Orleans you want your children to grow up in, a New Orleans where your family will live a semi-normal life; go to work, attend school, make friends and maybe, just maybe fall in love."

For some reason Scott found himself thinking about Malia, and he wondered how she was and...

"Kids these days! What do you know about falling in love, young alpha?" Commented Mary Dumas, drawing chuckles from everyone, the younger generations avoiding the other generation's eyes.

"I know it can be just as amazing and as extraordinary as it can be painful." Replied the McCall, recalling a time his mother Melissa McCall helped him find a new anchor, himself. "I also know that it's time for me to go so... Everyone, this is my emissary Marin Morrell, she'll tell you everything you need to know and this is our new and first ally Vincent Griffith. Treat them well."

With that said the True Alpha left his car in Marin's hands, including his phone and pocket flasks, everything that was important, after drinking a few sips of blood, before he left. Though he would have liked to talk with Malia and Derek time was against them so he had to leave everything in Marin's hands.  
————  
"You heard that, right?" Asked a concerned Marcel Gerard, in between attending his guests.

"Everyone heard the damned wolf howls, Marcel. Gregory is looking into them as we speak with two teams." Responded Lucien Castle, just as concerned.

"Well, I'll have some of my guys join him but just in case I'm going to ask Josephine to make sure no werewolf gains access to the house. Talk to her if Sofya arrives with Scott." Said Marcel, leaving his fellow vampire to do just as he said.

When he approached the Regent he saw that they weren't the only ones concerned about the wolf howls, something that resulted in Josephine not having a problem with casting a barrier spell to keep werewolves out of his house. The Gerard just hoped Thierry was right about Sophie refusing to join Vincent, although her disappearance was worrying.


	27. Chapter 27

Sofya thought about making a run for it when she heard the wolf howls, she was certain that Vincent wasn't the McCall Pack's only local ally and the howls weren't the product of Beau Geste effect. Scott McCall had a tendency of gaining allies even when the odds were against him and with his reputation to defy the odds...

The vampire was really considering stealing the white oak stake Lucien kept at his office before the attack occurred and disappear, that rare weapon was the cause of all this, after all. She planned all this so that she could acquire it without dealing with Lucien so that she could avenge her family.

The Castle promised her that he would kill Niklaus Mikaelson when he turned her five centuries ago and he repeated the promise once again a little over two decades ago when she helped him capture Mikael (without Marcel's knowledge) after the Father of all Vampires was done scaring his children and stepson and was leaving New Orleans.

He took the white oak stake Mikael had on him but has never used it, he kept it in one of his safes in his office at the 'land development' head office and didn't even bother to lure Klaus in to kill him but Sofya was going to remedy that. She wasn't going to waste another two decades while she had a weapon that could kill the man who killed her family at hand.

The more she thought about that monster the more she considered heading for the white oak stake instead of looking for Scott McCall... Scott McCall, who just about to pass by her in his human form, looking deep in thought, distracted.

The Voronova was faced with a split-second decision, her vengeful mind telling her to leave him alone and go for the white oak stake while her mercenary mind told her to capture the boy, deliver him straight to Lucien but make sure that he's not too restrained or drugged with wolfsbane so that he gets a chance to kill the Castle when he least expects it, a single bite was all that was needed, after all.

She knew the McCall Pack looked out for each other so if their alpha went missing they would look for him, just like with their trip to Mexico, and she would leave a trail for them to follow, that way if he doesn't kill Lucien his pack will. That was a brilliant idea in her mind, eliminating her vampire sire would ensure she gets away with stealing his while oak stake.

No one else knew about the rare weapon that was possibly the only one in existence but the two of them, oh, and Mikael who the Castle kept dead and locked up somewhere. That thought made Sofya's decision easier so when Scott passed by her she quickly struck him with the purpose of knocking him out but the tribrid's reflexes saved him from the blow to the head as he moved out of the way.

He knew exactly who attacked him, Sofya Voronova; the woman who contacted Neo Mokoena to get the Desert Wolf's assassination contracts to them so that they would target Lucien Castle and his Kingmaker Company for some reason. The files Neo had on Sofya estimated her to be over five decades old and a very dangerous mercenary.

With that in mind Scott knew that he couldn't just go down with one hit even if she was said to be one of the best, oh no, not when she planned to use his pack like her own personal mercenary group. They got Neo arrested with evidence that was sure to put her away for a very long time for her part in the ploy, Sofya had to get her due too and she was, in time, for now...

Having pretended to be lost in thought the True Alpha knew that the vampire had her guard down, expecting an easy knock out, hence immediately after he escaped the blow he retaliated with a hard knee to her upper abdomen that got a surprised and pained groan, blowing the wind out of her undead and magically functional lungs, forcing her to bend inwards.

The McCall followed that up with a hard forearm to the back, knocking Sofya down but once down she retaliated with a quick low kick to the boy's feet, knocking him down to join her and though pained by the two blows he delivered the woman pushed through the pain and used her super speed to get on top of him to straddle him and delivered fist after fist to his unprotected face and chest.

He was young but not stupid, and self-preservation instincts kicked in, so he acted quickly after the first blows and protected himself with his forearms while she rained down fist after fist at him, that is until he suddenly opened the block to redirect the Voronova's blows to lean forward and deliver a headbutt that momentarily stunned her.

Scott resisted the urge to bite Sofya and instead protracted his claws and buried them into her sides, eliciting a short scream of pain from the woman, and threw her off himself. But just when the McCall was about to go on the attack Diego, a vampire and member of Marcel's inner circle, tackled him down before Thierry appeared with a syringe full of purple wolfsbane and injected the alpha with it while Diego held him down.

Scott didn't restrain himself this time, he allowed his fangs to protract and bit Thierry's forearm in retaliation, getting a horrified scream from the vampire, before Sofya quickly knocked him out with a hard blow to the head to speed up the process and spare herself from being bit as well.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Thierry screamed, looking at his forearm in horror.

He knew what a bite from a werewolf meant for a vampire, he knew what it meant for him, he was as good as dead. Lucien was still at work on finding the means to cure a werewolf bite but wasn't anywhere near...

"Ugh!" The Vanchure suddenly cried out.

"What? What is it, T?" Diego asked his best friend, attending to him while Sofya took an unconscious Scott to her car.

"It-Ow!" Was all Thierry could get out before he felt his whole body burn.

No, it wasn't burning; it felt more like it was being torn apart from the inside out. It first began at the bite wound followed by the arm and then spread like wildfire to the rest of his body and all he could do was cry out and writhe while he tried to claw his skin off to get some release, however, he was stopped.

Diego stopped his fellow vampire from clawing his own skin off by getting a hold of his hands but he kept on screaming and writhing in pain, his screams were actually increasing in level with each second and his body was beginning to spasm. Sofya decided to put Thierry out of his misery by knocking him out as well though that didn't stop the spasms which were rapidly increasing. 

"This shouldn't be happening." Diego said, troubled and scared, looking to the older vampire for an explanation. "He shouldn't be reacting this quickly to the bite."

"What's that?" The Voronova asked instead of giving answers, seeing a black substance come out of the unconscious and spasming Thierry's mouth, then nose and eyes followed by his ears before he vomited a river of black ooze that forced him awake to endure the excruciating pain.

The plan was for Malia to lead the attack on the main research base with Jordan and the Crescent Wolf Pack, drawing attention to them to allow Chris, Corey, Hayden and Vincent to sneak into the facility to rescue the captives and deliver them to Melissa at a secure place and that's exactly how it was going to go.

Scott's team now Malia's laid out the original plan to the former alphas and their closest former betas at Mary Dumas' cabin at the Bayou after Marin called the Alphette to bring everyone with her there to discuss how things would go about with the new development. Afterwards they all discussed how to proceed with the new developments.

They decided to keep the original plan with Malia leading the attack on the main research base with Jordan, Vincent and seventy-five percent of Crescent Wolf Pack members, including Jackson, and Chris leading Hayden, Corey and twenty-five percent of Crescent members, including Eve, with their mission to rescue all the captives and deliver them to Melissa at a secure place.

However, the Paxon Pack and Sophie were to protect Melissa and the secure place and later the rescued captives, Marin and the Guerrera Pack were to surround the Abattoir until Raven1 grants them entry and protect Scott once he makes his move and the Phiri Pack, fifth pack of the New Beacon Pack, were to hunt down everyone involved in the kidnappings of Lucien's test subjects.

Raven6 and Chris acquired the names of those people and made a list, from those who did the actual physical kidnapping to those that supplied the information, played middlemen and middlewomen, set things up and everything in between, the New Beacon Pack was now going to put that list to good use, but it wasn't the only list they had. 

With five of the nine New Beacon Pack already out with missions, the last four packs, Bhediya Pack, Ōkami Pack, Volk Pack and Ikooko Pack, were to ensure that everything ran smoothly and those at the party didn't find out about what was going on in the city.

The Bhediya Pack decided to prevent any calls from leaving or entering the Faction Party from the moment their new Alphette issues the order to begin the attack and rescue by jamming broadcast signal around the perimeter of Marcel's house and take out anyone who leaves or approaches the house, and did the same with the main research base.

The Ōkami Pack and Volk Pack decided to be more active and patrol the city with the purpose of attracting attention to them to make sure the main research base personnel doesn't get backup. The Ikooko Pack's mission was to clean out their new alpha's New Orleans properties of any unwanted guests and individuals.

Later on, when all was said and done, the New Beacon Pack would make an anonymous tip off to the local police and hospitals and have one of the ravens direct the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to the secure place and research base to wrap everything up.

Of course that would be after Vincent and Sophie hide everything supernatural with a spell or two and ask the rescued former captives to keep quiet about the New Beacon Pack's involvement in the rescue or their supernatural nature when giving statements, they had a feeling no one was going to disagree with that considering exposure wasn't ideal for anyone.

The general public was going to be led to think there was an internal conflict between Lucien and his associates ignited by their activities being exposed and distrust and suspicion of who sold them out.

With the plans made time for their execution came and Alphette Malia Tate led the drive out of the Bayou and into the city of New Orleans, planning to give Scott a piece of her mind after the 'Introduction of the New Beacon Pack'. But she had a call to make before the mega mission truly starts.

"The attack is about to start." Derek informed his team after a phone call from Malia.

"Of course, it is. We just heard Malia tell you that loud and clear, nephew." Responded Peter, hiding just how proud he was of his daughter taking lead of everything.

"Don't be an ass, Peter. Some of us don't have super hearing, you know." Lydia commented.

"Oh, please. Your hearing is on another level, sweetheart."

"And you'll find out the same can be said with my scream if you don't shut up and let Derek say what he has to say." The Martin threatened the Hale that forced her dormant banshee powers awake, and her threat didn't fall on deaf ears.

"Thanks, Lydia." Derek said, a smile on his face before he went to business. "You were right, Deaton. The McCall Pack has recruited, well, kind of. The McCall Pack is now a member of the biggest gathering of werewolves and werewolf packs in existence.

All New Orleans/Bayou werewolf packs have officially submitted to Scott and made him the Alpha of the New Beacon Pack, a new pack consisting of nine werewolf packs, two of which are of direct and main royal bloodline, the Crescent Wolf Pack and Paxon Pack, and one of which was thought to be extinct, the Guerrera Pack.

Scott named the new pack immediately after the Ritual before leaving for his part of the mission. Malia is leading the New Beacon Pack to the city and everything will start in fifteen minutes."

Silence reigned once the Hale was done, even those with super hearing and listened in on the phone call between the cousins couldn't find their words after their team leader repeated what they heard, and there was just something about hearing the report in person being directed to them.

"Did you say the Ritual?" Alan Deaton was the first to speak.

"Yes. Malia said something about a unification ritual." Derek answered.

"According to her, Scott challenged the Alpha of the Crescent Wolf Pack with a condition that if he won the alpha had to submit to him on behalf of his pack." Peter decided to explain from what he overheard. "We all know our little Scott's reputation of defying the odds. He won the challenge with the whole local werewolf community as witness.

The Crescent Wolf Pack decided to honour the agreement between their defeated alpha and Scott but do one better, have all their fellow dated packs submit to him as well in their equally dated, but effective, Pack Unification Ritual so that they could upgrade and have a capable alpha, who happens to be my beta, as their leader."

Another silence reigned after a Hale was done talking, but this time they all had their eyes on the resurrected former Beast Alpha, giving him a look that made him uncomfortable.

"What?" He questioned to get them to stop staring at him.

"Am I the only one who detected pride in Peter Hale's voice and chemo-signals just now?" Cora inquired, arms crossed across her chest, head tilted to the side a little.

"Nope/No." Liam, Derek, Mason, Lydia and Alan replied in unison, and Peter didn't have a comeback to that, though he couldn't help but envy the Pack's new ability to shift into wolves.

"It's time." Derek said after fifteen minutes, and indeed it was time.

"Are you sure it's him?" Lucien asked Sofya who had just informed him of their bonus worth news.

"Thierry was there, Lucien." The woman replied, accepting an offered glass of red wine. "I left him outside with Diego."

"Ask Marcel to tell you where to put him until it's time to bring him out." The man said, his mood lighting up.

"Not until you pay me and add the bonus for his capture." The woman responded. "You know my account number."

Lucien was in too much of a good mood to argue so he simply took out his phone and made to make the transaction but the was a problem with the network so he promised to sent it a bit later, assuming the problem was with his network provider.

"You better." Replied Sofya, holding herself back from making a big deal about getting paid what she was owed like she usually would so as not to bring suspicion onto herself, but there was something she couldn't keep to herself. "There's one more thing, Scott bit Thierry."

"What?!" Marcel's voice startled the two older vampires and earned him some attention from the guests but he didn't care, he wanted to know what happened to his right-hand and one of his closest friends.

"Scott bit Thierry, and things are looking bad." The Voronova repeated.

She told the Co-Kings of New Orleans what happened and not a moment after she was done the Gerard was out the door, heading to the cars to check on Thierry. He found Diego taking him out of the car and when Diego turned with the Vanchure Marcel was horrified at what he saw. Black ooze was coming out of every orifice Thierry had and he kept groaning even unconscious.

"Oh my..." Was all Lucien could say at the mess Thierry was; he found the effects of an evolved alpha werewolf's bite to be far worse than those from traditional werewolves.

The effects were faster, more brutal on the body and probably the mind as well though they couldn't see that. The Castle knew there was no chance of saving Thierry but he wanted his people, his scientists working on werewolf bite effects to examine the bitten vampire's body so he convinced Marcel to let his people take him to his research base to try to 'save' him.

One of Lucien's vampire's took Thierry to the base while Sofya and Diego directed Marcel and Lucien to the woman's car to show them the tied up and 'unconscious' Scott. The Gerard was a bit surprised by the teenage boy that was revealed to have nothing but bad intentions towards his faction; he was around the age of the Harvest Witches.

The man was conflicted but the fact remained, the boy was determined to bring down the Vampire Faction, he had already taken out two of his vampires and Thierry was about to become the third. He couldn't risk losing any more of his people.

"This is why I started Kingmaker and gathered the best scientists in the world to work on breaking the limits, to protect us from people like this boy." Lucien said, observing the 'werewolf' although at a distance. "We have to get back to the party, Marcel. Tell Sofya and Diego where to put the beast for the time being, we have guests to attend."

While they returned to the party and Josephine allowed Scott's entrance in the house the vampire that was delivering Thierry to the main research base was taken out and dealt with by the New Beacon Pack.

The moment the Regent granted the 'werewolf' Diego and Sofya caught entry and they brought him into Marcel's house she knew something was wrong and the Ancestors told her as much. She wasn't the only one who sensed that, so did the Harvest Witches; Abigail, Cassie, Davina Claire and Monique Deveraux.

The young witches were the most favoured by the Ancestors, after their regent, so they were a bit more aware of the anomaly inside the building than the other witches and they were curious, well, some more than others, but they couldn't slip away from the party because they were told to stick close to Josephine who pulled Lucien to the side after a few minutes.

"The Ancestors want that thing dead." The Regent told the vampire, not beating around the bush.

"What thing?"

"The thing you brought here and asked me to let in." The woman replied. "It has to die."

"Kill it now or it'll kill you." Monique added, her eyes a bit unfocused.

While the Castle wouldn't have paid the witches any attention at the mention of their ancestors he did, however, pay attention to the girl's warning, there was just something about the way she delivered it that told the man not to ignore what she said. After seeing what a single bite from Scott could do, he didn't want to risk his life because of ignorance.

"It would be wise to let us help you kill it and keep the body." Josephine said once she saw that he took the warning seriously.

"Ah, there it is. You witches never do anything for free, do you?" Lucien responded, turning away from them. "Forget it. I was already planning to kill the boy, and I will. You should stick to killing the girls."

Oh, if only the Ancestors allowed her to kill the vampire the Regent would have already killed him a thousand times over. Abigail, Cassie, Davina and Monique, however, were uncomfortable with the reminder of what their faction did to them and wondered why Lucien addressed the anomaly as "the boy".

Kieran watched as Lucien walked away from the five most important witches in the Witch Faction, appearing to be a bit on edge. The priest wondered if the vampire was worried about the wolf howls or if he was finally aware of the investigations, he couldn't wait for the investigations to conclude so that his faction could start anew without corrupt people, he hated working with politicians and opportunists.

"Hey, Diego. Have you seen Thierry? I haven't seen him and I've tried to call him but..." Katie quietly asked Diego but upon looking at him she saw that something was wrong. "What's wrong? Is he OK?"

The vampire directed the witch to follow him and they went to a different room where he proceeded to inform her about what happened.

"No." She refused to believe him, shaking her head before he was even done.

"Vampire3 took him to Lucien's labs to see if they can save his..."

"No! He can't die!" Katie interrupted Diego who looked at her with pity in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Diego."

"You didn't see him, Katie. And maybe that's for the best. As much as I want to believe that Lucien's scientists will be able to save him I can't fool myself. That werewolf bastard gave Thierry a death sentence." Said the man, having had to take a shower and change clothes before joining the party because of the black ooze Thierry's body kept on ejecting.

He had a nightwalker, a vampire forced to only come out during the night due to lack of sun protection jewellery, to take his car to get cleaned of the black ooze.

"Then I hope you gave him one as well." Was all the angry and saddened witch would say, trying her best not to cry.

"Just wait until the main event of the night." A vindictive Diego responded.

Scott knew the moment his new betas arrived and surrounded the Abattoir, and he knew that Malia had started the attack and rescue but couldn't help but feel a little helpless with being locked in a dungeon and not right there with everyone. He was usually at the heart of the battles but this time he had a separate battle to face.

The True Alpha took the time to think about the structure and hierarchy of his new pack to distract himself from thinking about what could go wrong. The New Beacon Pack consisted of nine packs; McCall Pack, Crescent Wolf Pack, Paxon Pack, Guerrera Pack, Phiri Pack, Bhediya Pack, Ōkami Pack, Volk Pack and Ikooko Pack.

If he took himself out of the equation each pack had a leader of its own but only Malia was an alpha. With that in mind, every single one of the packs already had an existing structure and hierarchy before they officially united and during the Ritual the McCall noticed that a hierarchy also existed between the packs.

They had a certain order they followed and he too followed it when naming the packs. All this made things easier and Scott was convinced it would be wise to leave everything that has been established as it was and have the former alphas continue leading their individual packs and give Malia full authority to lead their pack, the McCall Pack.

He, as the Alpha of the New Beacon Pack, would lead the pack as a whole through the former alphas and her. As the only alpha aside from him and leader of the leading pack, the McCall Pack, Malia would be his second-in-command and Jackson his third-in-command because of his previous position and the Crescent Wolf Pack's current rank.

To not overwhelm himself, Malia or Jackson the True Alpha decided to create a council consisting of all pack leaders... Pack leaders... It didn't feel right to address the former alphas as betas and pack leaders so Scott thought about making them honorary alphas with only Malia as a real alpha, and to avoid confusion he would use his true alpha status as his official title and rank.

With that out of the way, the McCall continued to think about the council he wanted to create to help him govern the new super pack. Since there were nine packs it would consist of the nine alphas who led those packs and the True Alpha, meaning the council would have ten members; one True Alpha, one Alphette and eight honorary alphas.

All that was left was naming the council and making it a reality. The...

'It's time, True Alpha.' Raven1 interrupted Scott's thoughts. 'Everything has been going according to plan. Derek's team has already taken control of the research base in Toulouse and will be calling the authorities in a few hours. The ravens have already called the authorities to the bases and holding facilities they were taking care of.

Marcel is on his way to get you for the main event of the party and Sofya and Diego are accompanying him. I'll possess the Regent once you enter the party to lift the barrier spell and allow Marin and the Guerrera Pack entry.'

'What is the Guerrera Pack doing here, Raven1? Wasn't Marin supposed to bring Jackson with her? What's happening with Malia's team and my mom?' Scott questioned, having not realized that hours have passed since his capture.

'There was a change of plans with the new developments.' The raven replied, before giving a brief summary of those changes just as a clearly upset Marcel, who just gave his jacket to Diego, appeared to collect the True Alpha.

"Are you sure about freeing the vampires as well?" Oliver asked Malia after they secured the main research base for themselves, looking at vampires that appeared to have been experimented on as well.

For the main and most important research base of all of Lucien's Kingmaker experiments and tests the facility was poorly guarded and defended, and totally unprepared for a surprise attack. The guards appeared to be too shocked for them to react like one would expect and that made the New Beacon Pack's work all the more easier.

Already fuelled and empowered by their two decades old anger and frustration, amplified by the full moon and benefits of the new symbiotic pack bond, the Crescent Wolf Pack tore the unprepared Kingmaker guards and occasionally retaliating personnel apart. Jordan, Malia and Vincent didn't have to do much but witness the massacre and occasionally take out those that slipped by.

The ones that lost control were quickly brought back under control by Malia's alpha roar or a controlled flame from Jordan before they continued the mission. The Kingmaker main research base defence did not stand a chance against the New Beacon Pack and surrendered once they realized that but the majority was already dead by then.

Some of the research personnel were smart enough to stay out of the fight and locked themselves in a secure lab, they were still in there, but those that weren't were either killed or captured during the fight/massacre.

The ones who were captured were forced to help free their former test subjects and care for those in need of medical attention. They were divided between helping at the main research base and Melissa's secure place. 

While freeing the captives the New Beacon Pack discovered that though the majority were werewolves there were humans and vampires. The Crescent Wolf Pack didn't have a problem with leaving the captive vampires as they were but Malia gave an order to help them as well and she didn't like Oliver questioning her, especially during a mission.

She could have understood that during a discussion he was a part of before a mission to have something clarified but once the mission started... The Tate didn't grace Oliver with an answer, instead she went to the locked secure lab to get the research personnel to come out and join their fellow doctors and scientists in helping out before they reap what they sowed.

Oliver didn't like being ignored, more so with his fellow pack mates as witness, so he went after her and made to turn her around to face him but his hand never reached the girl's should. Malia heard the beta coming behind her and waited until he was close with his arm extended then caught and gave it a good twist in the same breath she turned around.

"Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ouch!" The evolved traditional werewolf cried out in pain as the Alphette held on to his arm and continued to twist it, bringing the man to his knees.

"If you ever try to touch me again I'll rip your arm off your shoulder and beat you with it, do you understand?" The werecoyote questioned, twisting the arm even further.

"Yes! Yes, ye-Ow, yes, yes!" Answered the man, nodding his head in quick succession to emphasize that he understood when he felt his arm about to pop out of its socket.

"Are you sure about that?" Malia inquired, still not letting go of the arm.

"Yes! I'm sure! I-Ow understand!" Oliver screamed, his eyes beginning to water.

"Good." Replied the girl, right before she delivered a hard knee to his face, breaking his nose and releasing his arm in the process, but she wasn't done.

While the man groaned and hit the floor the Alphette leaned down and covertly slashed the back of his neck and injected her paralyzing venom before pulling away and looked at the audience they gained.

"What are you looking at?" She questioned, causing everyone to get moving, impressed and with a lesson learned, before she turned her attention back to Oliver who found moving difficult with each passing second. "I might smell different but I'm not an easy target you can use to climb up the hierarchy and neither is anyone in my pack.

You're not going to get anywhere if you keep this up, in fact, you'll be demoted and someone else will be given your position as Jackson's second-in-command, like that nice lady Eve. Take some time to think about that."

With that said Malia left the paralyzed man to do nothing but think about what she said and take her advice or retaliate, she didn't really care, and she had people to get out of hiding.


	28. Chapter 28

Nurse Melissa McCall had sighed in relief when she saw Hayden bring doctors with her when she brought the rescued captives to help her take care of them but now she had to keep her eyes on the doctors to make sure they didn't kill their patients after one administered a lethal injection to one of them.

She had some of the Paxon Pack members help her keep an eye on the doctors after they took the doctor away to be locked up with the scientists that weren't trained to be doctors until a decision was made about what to do with them. Melissa didn't want to think about the decision that had to be made on what should be done with Lucien's employees.

While the humans, vampires and unexpectedly werewolves could be compelled by her son the witches couldn't be compelled and that presented limited options on how to deal with them.

"Come this way." The McCall suddenly heard Sophie instruct someone and raised her head to see Jackson heading her way with Oliver over his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" She asked once the Kenner put his second-in-command on the makeshift examination table.

"I don't know. I found him like this." Jackson said, concerned. "The others said that he has been like this since he had a 'talk' with Malia."

Melissa raised her eyebrows in question before she remembered the girl's special venom and looked at the paralyzed man in suspicion. She put on a pair of protective gloves and checked Oliver for a wound or a scratch, starting with the back of his neck and found what she was looking for.

"It's nothing serious." The nurse told Jackson, to his and Oliver's relief. "Your friend just pissed off the wrong person and she gave him a time-out. He'll be fine in a few hours."

"Malia?" The Kenner asked, and got a nod. "What did she do to Oliver?"

"She gave him a time-out." The human repeated, not about to reveal a pack within a pack secret. "See this scratch (she showed him the scratch at the back of Oliver's neck), its position and delivery caused the paralysis, and because Malia is an alpha it'll take some time to heal. Now, ask your friend what he did get it in the middle of a mission."

Oliver was glad that he couldn't speak when Jackson gave him a questioning look after Melissa repositioned him to face up but he got the feeling that this wasn't over.

Cassie couldn't believe how boring the Faction Party was, she had expected something worth being called a party but all that she and her fellow Harvest Witches did was being quiet and pretty while Regent Josephine showed them off like new jewelry along with the nine Elders to some 'important' humans and vampires.

Though the party was thrown to bring the factions together the girl saw that it was just a battlefield for a power play between each faction and individuals, and they, the Harvest Witches, were just a part of the game between the adults. Cassie didn't like that at all.

Monique Deveraux, however, didn't mind. She saw this as an opportunity for her to learn and adapt. As traumatized as she was by her death at the hands of her own faction, her own coven, without even the slightest of warnings or anything, she decided to cope with the trauma by becoming a powerful and influential witch, and the party and the introductions were just a stepping stone.

Abigail, on the other hand, just went with the flow and devoted herself to the Ancestors' plans. She believed in them wholeheartedly, just as she was raised to, and didn't believe that they would mislead her nor would their most favored witch, the Regent. They knew what was best for the Witch Faction and she knew her part was to follow their lead.

Unlike the others, Davina Claire wanted nothing to do with the Ancestors, the Witch Faction, her coven the French Quarter Coven or her mother, not after they sacrificed her without even asking for her consent or telling her that they were going to kill her. But she had to keep face or risk being killed by the very people who were supposed to protect her, again.

The girl just didn't understand how the covens could sacrifice their young based on belief, how her own mother could do that to her, was power more important than them, than her? Did they even consider the effects their deaths would have on their senior year grades or...?

"(Ting, ting, ting!) Ladies and gentlemen, and girls, vampires, witches and humans, thank you for coming here tonight to celebrate our coexistence." Lucien said, a glass of blood in hand. "I'm sure you're all waiting for my Co-King to grace you with his marvelous voice like he usually does before he delivers a speech but...

He's not quite in the mood for that this year, not after a beast did what it did best, destroy people's lives. I'm sure you heard the wolf howls earlier, well, being the good and caring kings we are we sent our best men to investigate them and they found out that they were from werewolves."

Whispers rose upon the reveal, and to some, confirmation. While everyone was worried about the return of werewolves the vampires were the most troubled, even those without firsthand experience with them, especially them.

"They also found out that the werewolves and a witch we all know very well were plotting against us." The Gerard continued, making the Witch Faction the center of everyone's attention and suspicion, something they didn't appreciate. "That witch is none other than Vincent Griffith of the Treme Coven..."

"Was! He's no longer a member of my coven." Jacob Griffith, Vincent's father and Elder of the Treme Pack, corrected the vampire, not pleased with what the man was trying to do.

"Or my faction." Josephine added. "Don't look for trouble where there is none, Lucien. Remember the purpose of this gathering and don't destroy it like the beast you talked about, or we might begin to suspect you the beast."

"The purpose of this gathering is to celebrate the coexistence of our species in this city." Said Marcel, entering the room and his entrance wasn't the only thing that earned him everyone's attention.

His jacket was nowhere to be seen while the wrists of his shirt had blood splashes on them, and he was dragging something behind him. No. Not something, but someone. Diego and Sofya came behind them.

"But that coexistence doesn't include his kind." The Gerard continued, throwing a bloodied Scott to the middle of the room. "His kind belongs in the Bayou."

"That is true." Agreed Lucien, admiring his junior's handy work, it appeared he underestimated the younger vampire's anguish, it seemed telling him that Thierry died was a good idea.

"You know, I've met people like you before." Said Scott, getting to his feet but Diego super sped to him and brought the boy back on the floor with a hard back hand across his face.

"Shut up, beast." The vampire said. "Your betters are talking."

"I've definitely met people like you before." Repeated the McCall, certain.

"What is the meaning of this, Marcel?" The angry leader of the Human Faction questioned, stopping Diego from hitting the boy again by standing between them to the tribrid's surprise. "He's just a child and one of my own."

"That 'child' killed Thierry!" Marcel exploded, getting shocked gasps at the reveal that Thierry was dead, more so from vampires, humans and witches were just surprised someone was brave enough to kill a vampire in New Orleans. "And he's not human. He's something that shouldn't be anywhere near New Orleans."

"And yet I am." Scott said, standing up once again. "Don't you want to know why?"

"We already know about your plot." Lucien replied, before taking s sip of his glass of human blood.

"But you don't know much about it, like who organized it from your side and..."

"What/What do you mean by that?" Both the Kings questioned, Lucien almost breaking his glass of blood.

"My Pack didn't know that you existed until someone made us aware about your existence and what you did to my 'kind'." Revealed the True Alpha, and looked at Sofya Voronova meaningfully. "She led me straight to you."

It quickly dawned on Sofya that the boy was aware of her hand in getting him and his pack to New Orleans and that he was trying to implicate her, and she was not amused though she had to admire his tactic.

Everyone noted the "My Pack" Scott started his response with and deduced that he was an untriggered werewolf. On the other hand Lucien and Marcel, and everyone else, didn't miss the McCall's line of sight and when they traced it and found Sofya at the end of it the Castle didn't believe the 'werewolf.

"You expect me to believe that Sofya betrayed me?" Questioned the ancient vampire, not believing the boy because he knew the female vampire needed his help to kill Klaus.

"You don't have to believe me." The tribrid responded. "The fact that I didn't bite her when we fought and she didn't find and capture me until today says enough. And I'm telling you this because it's all part of the plan we made."

While everyone's attention turned to Sofya for her response Raven1 seized the opportunity and possessed Josephine before he lifted the barrier spell against werewolves then released his possession of her.

"You know that I wouldn't gain anything from betraying you, Lucien, so why would I?" The Voronova asked, refusing the McCall's claim.

"I don't know. What would you gain, Sofya?" Questioned Lucien, considering the possibility of her betrayal because now that he thought about it, she didn't usually need take as long as she did to capture a target, especially not when good money was on the table.

"Nothing."

Diego thought back to Scott and Sofya's fight and realized that indeed the 'werewolf' didn't once aim to bite her, and when he had the chance he instead buried his claws into her sides.

"Then why did he spare you and bite Thierry when he had a chance to?" The suspicious vampire inquired. "Thierry and I saw the fight between the two of you so don't deny it."

And just like that the woman realized that Scott set her up from the start and she saw the moment Lucien reached his own conclusion and the furious look in his eyes told her if she wanted to keep her undead life she had to get out of there.

Sofya spared the tribrid one look before something clicked, he said that this was "... all part of the plan we made.” Upon realizing that there was a plan in motion the Voronova didn't waste any time sticking around and quickly ran out of the room and building at top speed, escaping Lucien's fury with a plan to visit his office for the white oak stake.

Of course Lucien and Marcel weren't going to have the traitor escape just like that and they gave an order to their vampires to go after Sofya, leaving only two personal guards with them; Diego and Gia (Marcel's latest vampire) for Marcel and Gregory and Andrew Fash (Lucien's third-in-command) for Lucien.

Once Sofya arrived outside the building she was met with nothing but an uneasy silence, the street empty of people, before a pack of evolved traditional werewolves, some of which were in their werewolf forms and others wolf forms, accessed after killing the previous vampires to exit the building or head towards it.

"Look, boys and girls! We have ourselves another vampire to kill." Francesca said, eyes glowing yellow.

"This one is for my pack, Francesca. I gave you the last two to activate your wolf forms." Mr. Bhediya's responded, his own eyes glowing beta blue.

Sofya slowly backed away, deciding to return inside Marcel's house but she found that there had been four werewolves beside the entrance door to prevent such a move and had no other choice but to go forward. Just standing there wasn't going to do her any good so once she saw an opening between a pair of werewolves she raced towards it and ran past it at top speed. They gave chase.

A moment afterwards the group of vampires sent by Marcel and Lucien came upon the same situation as the Voronova.

When Malia arrived outside the secure lab and tried to get the people who locked themselves inside to get out they refused to do so, and stated that they only followed the Kingmaker's others. That left the Alphette with one option, to force her way in but when she tried to do that a bluish-white flash of light appeared and she knew what it meant.

The room was protected by mountain ash and she couldn't break through the barrier like Scott did, but...

"So, this spell, it makes things invisible?" The Tate heard Jordan's voice and looked over to see him and Vincent heading her way; it seemed she wouldn't have to break the mountain ash barrier, after all.

"The Illusionary Cloaking Spell. It's more of an illusion than anything else, a simple but effective and powerful spell. I've added a suggestive repel spell on top of it to prevent people from going near the objects. This way the police won't bump into 'invisible' objects." The Griffith explained.

"Done hiding everything?" Malia asked.

"Almost." Vincent replied, pointing at three video cameras focused on the lab door and then the lab itself.

"Good. Jordan, I need you to do your thing." The Alphette informed the hellhound, turning to him.

"My thing?" 

"Yeah. You know, burn things up." Malia elaborated, before pointing to the lab. "This room is protected by mountain ash and the people inside don't want to come out so I need you to burn it."

Back at Marcel's house and the Faction Party everyone's attention returned to Scott.

"Aren't werewolves supposed to be wolves tonight?" A businessman and member of the Human Faction asked, not understanding if that was the case why Scott wasn't a wolf right now.

"Some, not all." The True Alpha answered, and when Diego tried to hit him again the tribrid parried his arm to the side and drove a knee to his abdomen.

When the vampire bend over the McCall held his head before he twisted it and broke his neck, temporarily killing the man, then threw his motionless body to the side before anyone could come to his rescue.

"I heard Klaus banished werewolves like me when he was the King of New Orleans centuries ago, and you copied his example and banished the local werewolves, but took it a step further by kidnapping and doing experiments on them." Scott continued as though he didn't just do what he did, eyes meeting each leader of the factions.

The mention of Klaus' name didn't sit well with the current kings or the vampires who knew about him, but being accused of copying him...

"I'm here to revoke both banishments, reclaim the seat of the Werewolf Faction, reestablish balance and abolish Kingmaker experiments and everything associated with its inhumane activities." The True Alpha of the New Beacon Pack stated.

Lucien laughed, he couldn't help himself, and some joined him, including the corrupt members of the Human Faction. It seemed the 'werewolf' didn't understand his situation.

"How are you going to go about doing that?" He asked mockingly. 

"Im going to do that by challenging you, the Founder of Kingmaker and Co-King of New Orleans, to a fight. Just the two of us, right now, right here." Scott answered, maintaining his serious tone. "With your position as and title of Co-King of New Orleans. on the line. Maybe everyone will finally stop thinking that Marcel is a better leader than you... If you accept my challenge and win."

Silence reigned at that obvious but effective bait. Lucien knew very well that people preferred Marcel over him, hence the fact that Camille wasn't interested in the younger vampire just as Sophie wasn't interested in him made the man feel a little better. It was petty, yes, but that was how it was.

It didn't matter that the Castle was the founder and owner of a multinational company, Kingmaker Land Development Inc., or that he created jobs for the locals, the only time people preferred him was when they knew that the Gerard wouldn't be on board with their plans or had no other option and that always ate at him, and it seemed the 'werewolf' knew it.

But Lucien wasn't born yesterday, he was actually born over a thousand years ago and he didn't achieve all that he has achieved by being stupid.

"Do you truly think me a fool to fall for that? You bit Thierry just a few hours ago and now he's dead." Said the vampire, and just like that Scott decided to go with the original plan and just... "If you want me to accept your little challenge you'll have to do something about that mouth of yours. I don't know; maybe have it sealed shut for the duration of our fight."

Scott couldn't believe that his plan worked even though there was a condition, and neither did Marcel and everyone, they didn't see how fighting the 'werewolf' was going to improve people's opinions about the ancient vampire and...

"There's nothing to gain from this, Lucien. We already have the boy at our mercy." Marcel told his Co-King.

"True. But these people didn't get to hear you sing, they might as well get to hear Scott the Alpha Werewolf scream." Lucien replied.

"He's a werewolf; we won't give up his best weapon against you." 

"I will, if Lucien doesn't rip my heart out or break my neck during the fight." Scott said, adding his own condition. "If he does he forfeits his position and title as Co-King of New Orleans to whoever my pack chooses and the banishments get revoked immediately."

If only he knew, the Castle was not planning on killing him but beating him up and then take him to Kingmaker main research base lab and have the same team of doctors and scientists that were working on Mikael work on him. Of course that is after forcing the McCall to reveal the location of his pack.

With Scott's mouth shut, there was no way he could kill him. The witches probably just wanted the boy's body.

"I accept your challenge, then." Lucien answered, taking off his jacket and watch. 

Scott, that was his name, thought Davina. Though he was stupid for challenging the oldest vampire in the city, especially without his best weapon, she admired his guts and...

Scott suddenly howled, it was a short howl but it made everyone tense. Lucien and Marcel realized their mistake, not having a witch seal the 'werewolf's mouth to prevent him from alerting his pack of his position but they weren't worried about them entering the building since Josephine locked out werewolves with a barrier spell.

"Don't worry, I just called for my pack to witness and make sure everything goes accordingly." the True Alpha said, eyes scanning the room, more so members of the Witch Faction.

"Where is my sister?" Jane-Anne Deveraux finally questioned, disobeying the Elder of the French Quarter Coven Agnes who told her not to say anything.

"Your sister?" Scott inquired, looking at the woman who addressed her question to him, eyebrows frown.

"Sophie Deveraux. She was last seen with you." Answered Jane-Anne, and though she tried to keep a straight face the boy could tell that she was worried.

"Oh, um..."

"Grr..." A growl was suddenly heard, and to Josephine, Marcel, Lucien and the Harvest Witches' surprise and horror for the Vampire Faction leaders it was coming from the inside of the building, just around the corner leading into the ballroom.

A half a second later a black and brown wolf appeared, blood dripping from its mouth, followed by two more, then a woman who was followed by another two wolves, and all the wolves had blood on their mouths, putting her in the middle. While everyone backed away from them they walked over to their alpha's side.

The Regent received two questioning glares from the Kings of New Orleans and she returned a clueless one in return that said that she didn't know what happened. Before Marcel and Priest O'Connell could question where the blood came from the boy spoke.

"I challenged Lucien Castle to a fight for his position and title as Co-King of New Orleans and he accepted, but under the condition that I have my mouth sealed shut for the duration of the fight." Scott informed his pack, trying to not think about the people the wolves killed. "He'll not rip out my heart or break my neck in turn, if he does...

If he does he forfeits his position and title to someone our pack will choose and the werewolf banishments from New Orleans will be revoked immediately. If what we agreed on is not honored call the whole pack, 'everyone', and take over the city. Do you understand?"

"I understand, True Alpha." Marin confirmed, and though all seemed alright she was very surprised by the new development.

There was something about that 'everyone' that gave the audience the idea that either Scott's unnamed Pack had a lot of members or...

Jane-Anne paused at how Marin addressed Scott, True Alpha. She found the title a bit familiar.

"How you get inside my house?" Marcel demanded to know, cautious of the snarling wolves.

"We walked in though the front door." Marin answered as though that should have been obvious, and everyone who didn't know about Josephine's barrier spell thought so as well.

"Don't play dumb with me!" The vampire exclaimed, not amused.

Scott released a threatening growl at the man and the five wolves joined in, all aimed at the Gerard.

"Come on, Marcel. That's no way of treating guests. But how about we get moving to your challenge, Scott?" Lucien said, wanting to get the fight started so that he could beat the "True Alpha" and then capture the werewolves that he so graciously brought to him. "I think it's only fair to involve all the factions, don't you think?

We have witches among us who can magically seal your mouth and a priest from the Human Faction who can facilitate the fight."

The McCall found that fair as well.

"Then it's only fair that I choose who seals my mouth." Reasoned Scott, and received the go-ahead before looking at Jane-Anne. "Can you please seal my mouth for the duration of the fight?"

He knew that she was less likely to jeopardize his chances of winning because of her younger sister Sophie than most of her fellow witches though that was guaranteed considering she allowed her daughter to be sacrificed.

Everyone knew why the boy chose Jane-Anne out of all the witches; he hadn't answered her question about her sister so it was in her best interest that she does as he asked.

"Your sister is fine." The True Alpha told the Deveraux, once she was before him.

The woman nodded before she chanted the spell to seal his mouth and though she put on a show of being unaffected by the nearness of the five wolves, Scott recognized as Francesca and four of her brothers who were her constant guards, he smelled her fear just as the wolves did and he was surprised by their restrain, considering they were...

The McCall realized just then that they let loose newly turned werewolves, mostly of the Guerrera Pack, to roam the streets of New Orleans and that wasn't counting the untriggered werewolves who belonged to eight of the nine packs of the New Beacon Pack and had stayed home while the triggered werewolves were in wetlands, the Bayou.

He realized that at the same moment Jane-Anne touched his mouth with her open palm to apply the seal and she sensed that he wasn't just a werewolf upon contact, causing her to recoil from him, almost tripping over her feet.

"What are you?" She questioned, eyes wide in shock, but her spell was already cast and active so the boy couldn't answer, he just didn't know whether to be grateful or not. 

Jane-Anne's reaction to the boy worried Lucien a bit, he knew the woman wouldn't have shown weakness if whatever she saw or sensed was nothing.

Monique's first instinct was to go to her mother's side, for she knew that her mother wasn't someone easily frightened and brought to her current state, and that's exactly what she would have done if Abigail didn't stop her.

Everyone was curious about the Deveraux's reaction to Scott, even the Ancestors; hence Abigail stopped her fellow young witch from approaching her mother, just in case the lady with the "True Alpha" gave an answer. It just so happened that the lady gave an answer, but it was one they didn't expect.

"He's the future Co-King of New Orleans." Marin answered for Scott, loud and clear, and with no trace of doubt in what she said.

She supposed the McCall had a plan in mind and that he was still going with the original plan, for him to fight Lucien and kill him in a somewhat fair fight, just without Malia and Jordan but with an audience and a position and title of Co-King on the line, a title that could make things a little simpler.

If-When Scott defeats the current Co-King Lucien Castle and earns the right to be Co-King of New Orleans right before the eyes of the locals, members and leaders of the factions, they will all be forced to accept and respect him as their new leader.

And as much as the True Alpha wasn't going to like the rapid vampire depopulation that was going to result from his new mega pack's actions by sunrise that depopulation was going to benefit a lot of people by preventing a retaliation from the Vampire Faction and allow the werewolves to reestablish themselves in the city a little easier.

The Human Faction and Witch Faction were going to be presented with the same situation they were presented with over two decades ago, whether to side with the werewolves or the vampires or stay of out their business. Yes, they were affected since Kingmaker employed humans, vampires and witches but they reaped what they sowed.

"That's bold of you to proclaim the boy the winner of our fight before it even starts." The Castle said, a thought shared by many.

"'The boy' is more capable than you think, and you're going to find out the hard way." Replied Marin, before she moved to the side to join the audience with the wolves following her, keeping the druid protected between them.

Jane-Anne moved away as well, returning to where she was although she kept her eyes on Scott.

With the wolves out of the way Lucien went to meet Scott in the middle of the room and Priest Kieran O'Connell approached the two opponents.

"May I know your full name, young man?" The human asked the tribrid, and received a nod from him.

"True Alpha Scott McCall, Alpha of the New Beacon Pack." The McCall's emissary spoke in his place.

None, apart from the New Beacon Pack members, in the room knew who Scott McCall was nor did they know any werewolves or pack with his surname and pack name but they filed the information away for later, noting that once again the woman addressed the boy with a title, True Alpha.

"Citizens of New Orleans and members of New Beacon Pack, True Alpha Scott McCall, Alpha of the New Beacon Pack, has challenged Co-King of New Orleans Lucien Castle to a formal fight with the position and title of Co-King of New Orleans on the line." Kieran announced. "Co-King Castle has accepted the challenge but there are conditions.

They both agreed to these conditions; True Alpha McCall will fight with his mouth sealed shut and Co-King Castle will not rip out his challengers heart or break his neck, if he does so he forfeits what is on the line to someone the New Beacon Pack will choose and the banishments of werewolves in New Orleans will be revoked immediately.

Do remember that True Alpha McCall has given an order to his pack members to call upon their "whole pack, 'everyone', and take over the city" if what has been agreed upon is not honored, and that we do not know their numbers but we've heard their wolf howls."

"Do you not believe I'll win, Kieran?" Inquired Lucien, and though he didn't show it he didn't like that the human believed there was a chance that he would lose to the boy, someone they didn't know

It was like the O'Connell already favored Scott over him just as everyone favored Marcel over him, and that just pissed off the vampire.

"Whether or not I believe you'll win or not doesn't matter, Lucien, the end results of the fight will determine who wins. However, I'm a member of the Faction and it's my duty to maintain peace in New Orleans and between the factions." The human responded.

Scott asked Raven1 and Raven2 to or at the very least limit innocent casualties in the city during Kieran and Lucien's interaction, hoping that he wasn't too late.

"That being said, the fight will stay between the two of you and you will not attempt to attack the audience and neither will the audience interfere with your fight. If you attempt or do attack the audience you forfeit the fight and if the audience interferes, the one who they provide assistance from forfeits." The priest added his own rules before he moved away from the opponents to join the audience.

"The fight starts... Now!" He began the fight.

Though it was strange to hear a priest say that the fight did indeed start.


	29. Chapter 29

"You know about the rowan tree?" Vincent asked Malia, surprised.

"What's that?" She asked in return.

"Its another name for mountain ash. It's not widely used in New Orleans nor do most know about it but... This is the only room in the entire base protected by mountain ash." The witch replied, before he realized that important detail. "It's either Lucien really cares about his human employees or..."

"Or he doesn't want supernaturals to enter the room." The Alphette completed.

"Or he doesn't want something to get out." Jordan added.

"You mean someone." Malia corrected. "But if that's the case then why would there be people hiding in there right now?"

It was a good question which would be left unanswered until they gain access to the lab.

"There's only one way to find out." Vincent said, before Jordan stepped in front of the locked and possibly mountain ash lab door, to the witch's curiosity.

He didn't know that the Parrish was a hellhound since Jordan has been using a modified pistol with wooden bullets, courtesy of Chris Argent, nor did Vincent know about hellhound, until now.

Malia and Vincent gave the hellhound some room though the witch just followed the former's example and a moment later Jordan's eyes glowed their hellhound fiery color before he released a controlled wave of heat energy, focused on the door card reader and the threshold.

Seconds, that's all it took for the pyromancer to burn through the mountain ash, melt the card reader and grant them access to the lab. The Griffith once thought witches were pyromancer but after seeing Jordan at work... Whatever the man was, was a true pyromancer.

The hellhound led the way in, his gun at the ready, ordering the occupants of the lab to stay where they were and put their hands where he could see them.

"You can't be in here!" Scientist1 said. "Do you know who...?"

"Oh, shut up before I tell him to shot you." Malia interrupted her, entering the lab with Vincent. "Actually, why don't you tell me why you are in here? What's so special about this room?"

They all declined to answer although they were visibly shaken by the turn of events. They didn't have to answer, however, because while Jordan had them at gunpoint and Malia asked the question they wanted answers to Vincent looked around the lab and saw a body with a dagger in its chest on an examination table.

It wasn't just a body, though, it was a vampire's body and it was desiccated with a dagger buried in its chest.

"Hey, get away from there!" Doctor1 shouted at the Griffith upon seeing him approach the examination table and quickly extended his arm in Vincent's direction before telekinetically throwing him away from there and against a wall. "Ow!"

The doctor received a wooden bullet to the shoulder of that arm in return, courtesy of Jordan who followed that up by quickly advancing on the man, who was a witch, and knocked him out then gave his attention to the other witches he sensed among the doctors and scientists.

"If anyone of you does that again I'll be forced to use lethal force." The hellhound warned them while Vincent slowly picked himself up, groaning.

"What does it matter? The moment that you remove that dagger we will all be dead." Scientist2, an elderly male witch, said.

"Really?" Malia asked, her disbelief clear by her frown.

"There's a reason Mr. Castle..." Scientist2 began to respond but was cut off...

"Shut up, Innocent!" By Doctor2, a female human. "You know we're not supposed to say anything."

"So you would rather die?" Vincent questioned, walking over to the others with a limp.

"Yes." Doctor two said without hesitation, but something wasn't right with her response.

"She's been compelled." The Griffith informed Jordan and Malia.

"That makes sense." The Parrish said, knowing that she was human. "Lucien probably compelled all the humans working for him to remain quiet but the same can't be said about the witches."

"Well, then all you witches better start talking." The Alphette told the witches.

"Or what?" A witch questioned.

"Or we can torture you until you talk." Malia replied, and since Jordan already showed that he had no problem with shooting the gun in his hand...

But compulsion was a powerful thing and so was blackmail. The witch, werecoyote and hellhound were forced to use force.

"Since I'm the defending one and you're the challenger, let me give you a free shot." Lucien said, leaning his head forward for his challenger to get that free shot. "Come on, take a shot."

Scott didn't decline the generous offer offered to him, he knew that the vampire underestimated him due to being poisoned with wolfsbane earlier, his age and having his mouth sealed but...

The ancient vampire didn't expect much from the boy, he was the first and oldest non-original vampire, after all. That is until Scott's fist met his face with a force strong enough to send him flying through the air before his body hit a wall and cracks spread across it from the point of impact, to Marcel's displeasure and surprise, then hit the floor.

Everyone was sure that they heard a snap when the 'werewolf's' fist hit Lucien's face and they were proven right when a groaning and a bit stunned Castle picked himself from the floor, a hand on his jaw fixing it back into place with a resounding snap.

If that wasn't embarrassing and insulting enough the fact that the True Alpha waited patiently for his opponent to get to his feet sure pissed off Lucien who super sped to Scott a half a moment later, intending to unleash his own fist against the boy's face.

The thing was the McCall didn't follow up his advantage because he was surprised to find that he was far stronger than he was when he arrived in New Orleans. Yes, he was powerful before, especially after unlocking and embracing what and who he was but now... The Tribrid knew that he was on another level.

To the Castle's surprise the McCall caught his wrist, blocking his fist, before delivering a hard open palm straight to his chest, eliciting a gasp and groan from Lucien, but didn't let go of the wrist, instead Scott used it to pull his opponent back to him and followed up with a fist to said chest then released the vampire who coughed and spit out blood, falling to his knees, gasping.

When the vampire-werewolf-witch tribrid moved to deliver a kick to Lucien's head the man rolled out of the way and quickly got to his feet before he super sped straight towards Scott and tackled him to the floor. From there the two wrestled for dominance, scoring a few shots to their sides and faces.

Marcel was more than a little shocked that the boy was actually keeping up with his senior vampire considering how old and powerful the Castle was. He himself couldn't keep up but the 'werewolf' was.

The Gerard wasn't the only one surprised by that fact, with Diego finally resurrecting he woke up to the boy who killed him wrestling with Lucien on the floor and occasionally against walls but he noticed something, Scott didn't have his claws out nor fangs.

After witnessing the 'werewolf's fight with Sofya and what happened to him earlier Diego began to see a pattern of sort, more so when Lucien gained control of the fight and threw the alpha through a nearby table. Scott fought with Sofya for a bit before she gained control of the fight but the moment she gained momentum he delivered a surprise attack with his retractable claws.

But that was just a start because the moment they thought they had the boy under control with Thierry injecting him with wolfsbane he used his deadly bite to deliver yet another surprise attack that ended up with Thierry dead. And now Diego realized that Scott let him get away with hitting him on purpose earlier to set him up.

He gave them all a sense of victory and control only to weaken their defenses and then strike, that was probably why the 'werewolf' didn't have his claws out right now, realized the vampire. Yes, Lucien was powerful but his young opponent proved to be cunning and just when Diego was about to alert the Castle Marcel stopped him.

The Gerard didn't want his fellow vampire leader to be distracted and lose the fight because if that happened it would mean the return of the werewolves and the Vampire Faction would likely lose their most powerful member.

"That man right there is Klaus Mikaelson's Original vampire father?" Vincent questioned, after Scientist2/Doctor Innocent spoke, that is after Jordan had to shot another person and they knocked out all the humans and witches that tried to prevent him from talking.

"That's what I said, young man." The scientist responded.

"You mean stepfather." Corrected Jordan, earning everyone's attention aside from Malia's who was looking at the motionless body. "Klaus is a vampire-werewolf hybrid, not just a vampire."

"You know about the Mikaelsons?" A surprised Griffith inquired.

The locals only knew and were certain about that family's existence because of their history in New Orleans. Their ancestors passed down stories about the Old Ones to younger generations and though some didn't believe others did.

"Scott has to know about this." Malia said to herself but they all heard her. "Wait, where is his Sun protection ring?"

"Perhaps Lucien took it. From what we know Generation0 (Mikael) has been here for a very long time, a lifetime." Doctor3, an elderly female witch and a surgeon, answered.

"The earliest notes and records on him are about ninety years old." Doctor Innocent added, surprising the youngsters.

"So, almost as old as you?" The Alphette commented, drawing a chuckle from the scientist.

"If I were twenty-five years older." He responded, internally realizing that he was getting old.

He was but an ambitious young veterinarian specializing in histology and a little bit of cytopathology when he started working for Lucien and...

"If Lucien has something to keep you in check like you said, why did you tell us everything you did so freely?" Vincent questioned, filling his question for Jordan and Malia for later.

"Not all witches need incentives or have people they care about for Lucien to threaten to work for him or keep quiet about what we do. Some of us just have too much to lose by revealing what we know." Answered Doctor3, looking at Mikael's body.

"And what is that?" Jordan asked.

"Knowledge." Replied Doctor Innocent as though that should be obvious.

"Knowledge?" Malia inquired, incredulous.

"Yes. Knowledge." Doctor3 confirmed. "Do you have any idea how much we've learned since taking on this project and all that we still yet to learn from it?"

"Still yet to learn?" Vincent questioned.

Jordan realized that the two told them everything with hopes that they would allow them to continue studying the original vampire's body and they didn't refute that when he asked them.

Once Lucien gained control of the fight he took his time to teach the 'werewolf' a lesson. He stalked Scott as he picked himself from the remains of the table and once the boy was on all fours the man super sped to his position and delivered a vicious kick to his sides, his ribs to be exact, forcing a muffled groan from the McCall who took a fetal position to withstand the pain and protect him.

"Ah, that's music to my ears." Lucien said, pleased.

His jaw and chest we're still hurting from the boy's blows so this pleased him.

"Especially because your pack is watching as I beat their pathetic alpha." The vampire continued, eliciting angry growls from the wolves.

He forced the True Alpha out of his fetal position and lifted him to his feet.

"Did you really think that you could win against me?" Lucien questioned, making it clear that he was insulted and hit the boy with a headbutt for the insult, getting another muffled groan. "I'm the first, first generation vampire, boy! (headbutt) I've lived for over a thousand years! (headbutt)

I'm the most powerful man you'll ever meet! (headbutt) The riche-Ow!"

He was cut short by a stunning headbutt aided by hands at the back of his head, courtesy of Scott McCall who followed it up with another one, but this one was mostly aimed at the nose, forcing the man to let go of him entirely and recoil as his nose broke with a sickening crunch that everyone cringed at.

While Lucien instinctively held his bleeding nose Scott went on the attack, delivering punch after punch to the vampire's abdomen, sides, head and everywhere in between, letting adrenaline keep the pain he felt from the wounds caused by the table he went through at bay.

Even as he felt that some of the wounds still had pieces of wood in them he kept on going, hitting every opening he saw in the Castle's defense, but there was a larger piece of wood on his side that Lucien saw through teary eyes while defending and sacrificed his face to thrust it deeper into the boy, eliciting an elongated muffled cry that stopped the fast succession of punches.

The Tribrid wasn't the only one who cried out though because his last fist met the Co-King's already broken nose and created some space and time for the two of them to take care of their wounds. Lucien tearfully held his broken nose and with another sickening crunch and a pained groan corrected it.

"Fuck!" He cried out, before trying to stop the stream of tears caused by his nose injury.

Scott, on the other hand, was forced to protract his claws for the first time in the fight so that he could dig the piece of wood his opponent drove into him, all six inches of it and unconsciously allowed his dried and fresh blood to turn to black smoke and disappear and his body to expel the small pieces of wood and heal his wounds, releasing black smoke.

The black smoke quickly caught everyone's attention, even the recovering Castle's, and so did the True Alpha's glowing red iris and black sclera. A deep growl left the McCall through his nose as he stared at his opponent. He knew that his precast magic neutralizer was going to neutralize Jane-Anne's spell soon so he needed to end the fight quickly.

Oh, trust didn't come as easy as it once came to the boy, not after Theo, and his emissaries advised him to protect himself against magic but be smart about it, the latter being the one to give him the Delayed Foreign Magic Neutralizer Spell. Yes, Scott was quite powerful but not invincible, more so against magic users in their territory but he didn't have to be.

This was the reason the druid wasn't worried about the local witch casting a spell on her alpha, it was just matter of time.

Lucien, like most of his present fellow local residents, was unnerved by the glowing red eyes but the deep growl the McCall released gave them goosebumps and a healthy dose of fear. Priest O'Connell swore that the boy was a devil incarnate if not the Devil; he did betray Sofya, after all, probably after tempting her in the first place.

One moment Scott was a few feet away from Lucien and the next he was right in front of him and before the ancient vampire could react the McCall thrust the six inch piece of wood he just pulled out of himself just under the man's sternum and directed it towards the heart with a claw.

It didn't take long for the Castle's mind to process what was going on and he froze, how could it and he not when menacing red glowing eyes were staring straight into his eyes? If that wasn't enough the True Alpha placed his free clawed hands around the defending Co-King's neck with the four fingers at the back of his neck and thumb on his throat.

Scott growled once again, threateningly and Lucien had no choice but to...

"I forfeit!" He forfeited, not wanting to die. "I forfeit, just don't kill me, please."

There was still a lot he wanted to do and though he was prideful his desire to live outweighed his pride, especially since living held a chance for revenge. 

The McCall kept his hands firmly where they were but made his claws pierce through the Castle's skin a little to keep him in place then looked at the facilitator of the fight to formally acknowledge his victory.

"The winner of the challenge and new Co-King of New Orleans as a result of Lucien Castle verbally forfeiting is Scott McCall." Proclaimed Kieran, although a bit reluctantly.

And just like that Lucien's forfeit finally registered and the room couldn't believe it. They hadn't expected much from the winner when the fight began and didn't believe Marin's statement though some hoped that a miracle would happen and the boy would win but now... It was a bit difficult to comprehend, more so the Vampire Faction accepting the results.

The official acknowledgement of the results of the challenge couldn't have been better timed because that was a moment before Jane-Anne's spell was neutralized and the True Alpha's mouth was unsealed and he turned his attention back on the Castle at his mercy.

He could smell the disdain, hate and fear coming from Lucien's chemo-signals and knew that he had to do what was necessary.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you live." Scott said, right before he thrust the six inch piece of wood through Lucien Castle's undead beating heart, bringing it to a sudden stop.

Marcel saw the moment life left Lucien's eyes and he couldn't hold himself back when his body hit the floor and moved to attack the boy who killed his partner and sometimes confidant of more than ninety years without mercy, even after he forfeited, but to everyone's surprise, especially his own, Diego, Gia, Gregory and Andrew held him back.

"Let me go!" the vampire Co-King screamed, but his underlings held on and Diego proceeded to kick him the back of his knees to bring him to his knees.

Abigail was the first to notice something abnormal with each of the four vampires holding Marcel, their eyes were black, all black, and got the sense that they weren't in control of their actions.

"They can't." Scott said, walking over to the Gerard, retracting his claws and shifting his eyes to their human form. "If they let you go and you attack me I will kill you. And the Vampire Faction can't afford to lose another leader, not after I sent my pack on missions to shut down every Kingmaker facility and its network before I let you capture me.

As I speak they're all almost done with their missions and the authorities are moving in to wrap things up, see to the health of the kidnapped people my pack rescued and match missing person reports and return them back to their homes, including the bodies of those that died."

If everyone wasn't shocked already this did it, but some of them didn't know what the new Co-King was on about, they only knew about the front Kingmaker Land Development Inc. and not what was behind, the real story.

"This is the second time you link Lucien to kidnapping, what's going on?" Jane-Anne questioned, with an undertone of a parent demanding answers from a child.

She wasn't the only one who wanted to know, however, there were others in the dark just as she was.

"Lucien isn't the only one linked to the kidnappings." Scott began to explain, returning to the middle of the room, looking in the directions of the people who were either directly involved or were in the know but turned a blind eye, to the shock of the ones in the dark and shame of those in the know.

The True Alpha wanted nothing more than to check on his pack, especially his original pack, but this was the most opportune time for people to understand his and his pack's actions even if they weren't going to agree with them and so he explained the true nature of Kingmaker including the fact that the Faction knew and did nothing, that being the main reason his pack decided to do something.

Marin decided to run PR for her young alpha and pack by covertly taking a video of Scott explaining.

Malia refused the elderly witches request to keep on working on what they called Protect Kingmaker and instead directed them to help look after the people they just rescued with a promise that Scott would give them a better project to work on.

Of course that was only payback for the boy leaving her to shoulder everything without even giving her a heads-up but she also saw potential helpers for his GS project so...

"What are you planning to do with Generation0?" Vincent asked Malia, who asked him to make Mikael's body invisible to all but him, her and Jordan, and put it in Chris' car but most of all to make sure the white oak ashed dagger in the first vampire's heart doesn't leave his chest.

"Me? Nothing. Scott? I don't know." The Tate replied, watching as the witch did as she asked. "Talking about Scott, we have to get to him."

"What are you doing?" Chris caught the trio red-handed at his car, catching them off-guard.

"Um... Jordan will explain." Malia answered, or more like deflected the question before she escaped with Vincent, heading for Stil-Scott's car, with the intention of picking up Jackson before heading to the Faction Party.

"Parrish?" The Argent turned his attention to the hellhound left to explain and with a sigh he did after ensuring that they were alone.

"... We did what we did to put a stop to what should have been stopped over twenty years ago, to do what the Faction should have done but allowed to happen for decades." Scott reached the end of his explanation, and he could tell people lost faith in the Faction due to his speech. "I'm not telling you all this to excuse the deaths my order caused.

I know people died because I couldn't let things be, I know families and friends will be left grieving after tonight because of me and I'll have that on my conscious for the rest of my life. But I also know there are families and friends out there who will finally know what happened to their loved ones and some who will have them returned.

I know there are families and friends out there who will never have to go through what the families and friends of Kingmaker's victims went through. And I know there are people out there, and maybe in here as well, that will never have to go through what the victims and survivors my pack rescued went through after tonight.

Co-King Marcel Gerard, Regent Josephine LaRue and Priest Kieran O'Connell, you probably did what you thought was best for your factions, understand that I was at the same crossroad you were at two decades ago and I decided to take the path you didn't take as the Leader of the New Beacon Pack, previously known as the Werewolf Faction and New Orleans/Bayou Werewolf Community."

And just like that the True Alpha dropped the bombshell that rocked everyone, and it seemed at just the perfect moment because just half a moment later Malia entered the room with Vincent and Jackson and she proceeded to stand beside her best friend and alpha before Marin joined them and stood her place beside the girl's side.

Jackson went to Scott's side while the five wolves stood behind them in a protective C formation. Vincent didn't join the assembled pack; he instead stood separate from everyone a watched.

No one missed Malia and Scott's hands find one another and link, nor did they miss how the latter relaxed a bit and seemed to lighten up.

"This is my Pack, a fraction of my Pack." Said the McCall, and felt his worries calm a bit. "To my right is the Leader of the Crescent Wolf Pack Jackson Kenner (gasps of shock from the audience), to my left is the Alphette of the McCall Pack, my original pack, and my second-in-command Malia Tate, and to her left is our Emissary Marin Morrell.

I will not name the wolves for personal reasons but among them is the leader of one of the packs that make the New Beacon Pack. And I am the True Alpha of the New Beacon Pack and new Co-King of New Orleans Scott McCall. Chaos is not our intention, restoring balance back into New Orleans is."

Malia, Vincent and Jackson were caught off-guard by the McCall's claim to being the new Co-King of New Orleans but they rolled with it, getting a clue from Lucien's dead body.

"Restoring balance? Is that what you call letting loose werewolves in a city during the full moon?" Josephine questioned, seeing that as nothing but chaos and everyone had to admit that she had a point.

"It's what I call strategic planning. If it wasn't I would have let my Pack carry out a vendetta against the Faction for what they did and let happen, and you would be dead along with Marcel and the Priest." Scott responded. "But a vendetta is what started my journey into this life years ago and I don't think it would benefit anyone.

Our actions tonight are more than about vendetta, Regent. They are about doing what I'm sure the Faction was created to do, manage the supernatural community of New Orleans and ensure balance. Something you failed to do."

"If you did your job, old lady, we wouldn't be here right now. Like I told Sophie earlier, the world would be a better place if younger people were willing to do what is right and necessary, what you old people aren't willing to do. You should think about making Vincent your successor." Malia added, putting the Griffith on the spotlight.

"That brings us to our ally and someone who didn't have to help us but did anyway to repair the relationship between the Witch Faction and the New Beacon Pack, Vincent Griffith." The Tribrid continued, not missing a beat. "With that said, I officially revoke Klaus and Marcel's banishments of werewolves in New Orleans.

I also abolish all Kingmaker kidnappings, experiments and everything associated with its inhumane activities and remove any privileges the Vampire Faction have over the other factions and my Pack. From this moment on all species are equal in New Orleans and will be treated the same way.

If you have a problem with that, Marcel, let's not involve other people. Challenge me one on one with both our Co-King status on the line, the winner will get to become the sole King of New Orleans. But if you really care for New Orleans and its people you'll support and welcome these changes."

With that Scott moved to lead his Pack and ally out of the room but turned back to address a few things.

"Oh, I almost forgot to inform you that I legally own all of Lucien's assets, including Kingmaker Land Development Inc. and I..."

"That's impossible!" A businessman and member of the Human Faction interrupted. "I own..."

"Nothing." Malia interrupted him flatly. "You don't own a single share of Kingmaker Land Development Inc. because Lucien fooled you. He never sold you the shares; he just made you believe that he did."

"If you don't believe us check for yourself." The McCall said, shrugging. "Either way, the company will no longer be a front company nor be managed like one. While I work on legitimizing it I would like a meeting with the Faction. The sooner we sit down and talk the sooner we can agree on how we will coexist and find a new normal.

In the meantime I'll instruct my pack mates to behave but defend themselves if and when provoked."

"You expect me to sit down and talk about coexistence while you have me on my knees?" Questioned Marcel, holding back his confusion about why his own guards turned on him, especially Diego, being the only one who hasn't seen their eyes.

"Isn't this how the other factions lived under your reign with Lucien?" Marin commented, and as much as the vampire wanted to deny it she was kind of right, but... 

"Didn't...?" The vampire Co-King didn't get to finish his response because Lucien's body suddenly ignited, startling everyone, even Raven1 who unintentionally released his possession of the four vampires; Gregory, Diego, Andrew and Gia.

Josephine tried to extinguish the fire but the late Castle's body kept on burning and if anything the fire seemed to intensify with her attempt. She called upon Davina to extinguish the fire since the girl was blessed with advanced Ancestral Fire Element manipulation as a result of the Harvest Ritual but that backfired.

Instead of the fire extinguishing it intensified even more, to the point that it incinerated Lucien's body within seconds, leaving nothing but dust behind. Not ashes, dust.

Silence reigned in the aftermath. No one knew what happened and they were still processing the strange occurrence.


	30. Chapter 30

Once the processing part was over, all eyes turned to the members of the Witch Faction for explanation. They were the magic experts, after all. But instead of receiving answers or at least clues Gregory and Andrew rushed at Scott, looking to avenge their leader since they witnessed the 'werewolf' kill him.

That was the last memory they recalled after regaining control of their bodies and they planned to make the boy pay.

It was an ill-fated move on their part because once their course became clear the True Alpha's Pack and ally reacted accordingly.

Malia protectively stood in front of Scott while Vincent extended both his arms in the two vampires' direction and twisted his hands when they were close, casting a non-verbal telekinetic spell that broke their ankles, one each, just to slow them down.

Gregory and Andrew cried out in pain, coming to a halt to nurse their injured ankles but that was another ill-fated move on their part because the five Guerrera wolves didn't miss the opportunity presented.

Francesca was the first to strike by latching on Gregory's injured ankle and when he turned his attention to her one of her brothers went for and attacked his throat with his canine teeth. He knew Gregory's life was already over but he still ripped out the vampire's throat.

Andrew on the other hand was attacked by the three remaining wolves. Each bit a limb, leaving the injured leg alone. The vampire cried out and tried to free himself but with Gregory already dead the other two wolves joined in and this time Francesca targeted the throat while her brother went for the injured limb.

The late Lucien Castle's guards both died within fifteen seconds, with the last one torn apart and the New Beacon Pack standing tall, shocked and horrified eyes on them, and so were Marcel's fury eyes at having his most important rule broken right before his eyes once again.

It took all of Scott's will to hold himself back and not stop Francesca and her brothers, Malia knew because she did not only smell his internal conflict but felt it in his grip on her hand.

But he gave an indirect order for them to behave but defend themselves if and when provoked, an attack on an alpha of a pack, especially in front of said pack, was not only provocation but also a declaration of war and everyone reacted accordingly.

This, however, troubled the True Alpha and he feared what it made him realize. The deeper he delved into the supernatural world the more complex things became and his morals and values muddied, mind-raping Corey a few months ago being an example.

Death wasn't something new to the McCall, not after the night he went to Beacon Hills Preserve with his late best friend and Peter bit him, but he was responsible for a lot of deaths tonight, both directly and indirectly. He was certain that he got more people killed tonight alone than he has in almost three years.

"A word of advice, make that meeting happen soon and advise your factions against provoking us." Marin advised the Faction, and she didn't have to elaborate on what would happen to those that do provoke them.

"You come to my city, kill my guys and expect me to just let it go?" Marcel questioned, standing up, eyes on Scott.

"Yes." The Tribrid replied, exchanging places with Malia. "Like I told you earlier, I've met people like you before. Right now, they are either dead or not the same. Since Lucien is already dead, I hope you'll not be the same or I will kill you too along with everyone who sides with you.

This is your (addressing everyone in the room) chance to repair the relationship between the Vampire Faction, the Human Faction, the Witch Faction and the New Beacon Pack and restore balance to the supernatural community of New Orleans. Don't waste it."  
————  
"Have you heard anything from Scott?" A worried Melissa McCall asked Corey who just arrived with the last of the rescued people.

"Not yet. Malia went to check on him with Mr. Griffith and Jackson a while ago." The boy replied, just as worried as the mother.

"It's time to leave. Jordan was just called by the station to help with an anonymous tipoff that could be linked to the missing person case that brought him here." Chris said, approaching the duo.  
————  
"Hey, wait!" Jane-Anne called after Scott just before he got inside his car.

She once again disobeyed an order and followed the boy outside to ask about her younger sister, the only person aside from her daughter she would do just about anything for, and she didn't care. 

"Where is Sophie?" The witch asked once the boy gave her his attention but he wasn't the one who answered.

"She's on a mission." Vincent responded, already in the backseat of the car.

"What mission?" The Deveraux demanded to know.  
————  
After the New Beacon Pack and Jane-Anne exited the ballroom silence reigned and Marcel couldn't help but notice the irony in that the party was supposed to be main evented by the Vampire Faction's show of power but instead the banished werewolves main evented with their return to the city and their own show of power. 

But being out staged by the Werewo-New Beacon Pack was the least of the Vampire Faction because they not only lost their most powerful member but also a co-leader and Kingmaker, both front and covert.

The cherry on top was that the rumors about Kingmaker's real activities were confirmed and those who were not in the know or suspicious saw the New Beacon Pack as nothing but heroes and the Faction as traitors and untrustworthy people who turned a blind eye to inhumane things that even their own people were victims of.

Marcel, Kieran and Josephine recognized that Scott McCall wasn't just physically dangerous but politically as well, the saw why a pack of the Crescent Wolf Pack's caliber could submit to him, even as young as he was although that still raised their interest, especially how the boy's fight against Lucien. Talking about the late vampire…

"What happened to Lucien?" The vampire Co-King asked the Regent, his eyes shifting between her and Davina.

"You saw what happened, Marcel. We tried to extinguish the fire but something was not right." Replied the LaRue, turning her attention to the dust that was the late Castle's body but it was nowhere to be found.

This troubled everyone especially the witches. Josephine suspected a witch was to blame for the mystery surrounding what happened to Lucien's boy but she didn't want to implicate her faction so she kept that thought to her.

"That boy has something to do with this." A member of the Human Faction said.

"How?" Questioned Marcel, since... "That boy is a werewolf, not a witch."

"Vincent..."

"Has nothing to do with what happened to Lucien's body." Interrupted Jacob, very sure of his words.

"Are you sure?" Priest O'Connell inquired.

"Yes. I've had my eye on him since he arrived here and he didn't use any magic." Replied the Elder of the Treme Coven, but in truth what made him so sure was the fact that he would have sensed his son's magic if the boy had used it since he was still magically connected to their coven.

"What is it, Davina?" Elder Kara Nguyen of the Ninth Ward Coven and Manager of The Cafe Chim Lac asked the girl upon seeing her staring at the scorched spot Lucien's body had been.

"A witch did this." Davina answered, pointing at the spot and gaining herself looks from her faction members but fell away when she continued. "A very powerful witch, but that witch doesn't practice ancestral magic."

"How do you know that?" Diego questioned, gaining himself a strange look from Marcel that he didn't understand.

"I'm an ancestral witch; I'm familiar with ancestral magic." The Claire responded as though that should have been obvious. "This witch's magic is different and the fire spell used my magic to strengthen itself."

"That makes sense." Agnes said, gaining everyone's attention. "With so many witches here, it was a given that at least one of us would try to put out the fire, so they used our presence against us, got rid of the body and covered their tracks."

"But why?"

"Why not, Marcel?" Asked Kara, and looked pointedly at Marcel, Josephine and Kieran with her follow up. "It's quite obvious whoever the witch is knows about your partnership with Lucien and what you four have been up to, and did what was necessary to ensure that the new Co-King's work isn't undone and Lucien doesn't get resurrected."

The woman has been suspicious of Kingmaker for some time now and her suspicion intensified when her son Van Nguyen disappeared a few months ago while investigating Kingmaker Land Development Inc. for her. She hoped he was one of those rescued people.

The Elder of the Ninth Ward Coven's statement seemed to remind everyone of what they learned tonight and what Scott said. Though they were still shocked that someone, especially as young as the new Co-King, killed Lucien there was still the fact that the Faction betrayed its people.

Life was already hard enough with being secondary citizens in New Orleans but knowing that the people who were supposed to protect the community turned a blind eye sure dealt a blow to the community's faith in its leadership.

"That witch you seem to admire, Kara, isn't part of our covens and they can remotely possess whoever they see fit and turn them against anyone of their choice as you saw, that makes them a threat to the Witch Faction." Josephine said, making the elder aware of the potential threat.

That caught Marcel's attention and Gregory, Andrew, Gia and Diego's apparent betrayal started to make sense and why the former two suddenly regained their loyalty to Lucien.

"That might be true, 'Regent'. But that doesn't take away the fact that you betrayed us, does it?" Responded the Nguyen, before she headed for the door leading out of the ballroom with her entourage and daughters, but she paused just before exiting to make one more comment. "Maybe you should take that girl's advice and look for a capable successor."

With the Elder of the Ninth Ward Coven's last comment she along with her entourage left the ballroom in silence. And just like that the seeds of doubt Malia and Scott planted took hold.

It was clear the New Beacon Pack came prepared and achieved their mission and maybe more.  
————  
Chris, Corey, Hayden, Melissa and Sophie arrived at the safe house to find Jackson, Jane-Anne, Malia, Marin, Scott and Vincent already there. The presence of her older sister was a huge surprise to Sophie. She had been high on the feeling of saving lives and the overwhelming gratitude she and her team, including the Paxon Pack, received.

Sophie, like the Paxon Pack, was supposed to be on guard duty, to help protect Melissa and the others but she, and some members of the Paxon Pack, ended up helping Melissa care for the 'patients' with her supervision. It was an experience that left the witch feeling fulfilled.

It turned out Lucien had witches working for him curse his werewolf captives with a variation of the Crescent Wolf Pack curse to keep them in control and human or wolf shape depending on the circumstances. Luckily the werewolf captives were kept in their human forms this full moon, something that made things easier.

Most of the rescued captives weren't in too bad a shape, apart from some injuries prevented from healing by wolfsbane, malnutrition and dehydration, but those that were, were prioritized. And because of that Hayden ended up revealing something extraordinary that evolved werewolves could do to help everyone; siphon pain.

The Deveraux got to witness the most amazing experience in her life when a rather big and physically intimidating male member of the Paxon Pack was brought to tears after siphoning pain for the first time.

The fact that the person from whom he siphoned from was a witch made that moment Sophie's favorite. But Jane-Anne's surprise presence brought her back to reality.

The older Deveraux didn't waste a moment to hug her younger sister and check if she was unharmed. Scott's response to her question was to invite Jane-Anne to the safe house after sending away the wolves on some secret mission.

She was suspicious about the invitation for many valid reasons but cautiously accepted it, she wasn't defenseless, after all, and she had an ace up her sleeve.

"Are you OK? Did they hurt you?" Jane-Anne asked Sophie, fussing over her.

"I-I'm fine, Jane-Anne." The younger witch replied, not looking her sister in the eye.

With that the older Deveraux recomposed herself and finally saw that the pack was having its own reunion.

After they were done and before anything could be said Marin felt Scott's phone vibrate and gave it to him to answer. The caller turned out to be Derek so the True Alpha excused himself and went to another room for some privacy.

"Where's Jordan?" Malia asked, not seeing him with the others.

"With the local police. They called him in to help with a case that might be linked to the "missing person case" that brought him to New Orleans." Chris answered, sitting down.

"Everything is going according to plan, then?" Inquired Marin, relieved that they were all OK.

"Yes. But the Phiri Pack is still out on their mission."

"The Phiri Pack?" A surprised Jane-Anne intruded, this verified that Scott McCall truly was the leader of the Werewolf Faction and that the New Beacon Pack was the Werewolf Faction and the Bayou and New Orleans Werewolf Community.

"Pack business." Malia responded, before she looked at her pack mates. "Derek's team is done and the police are already at the scene."

"Everyone is OK, right?" Inquired Melissa, since she didn't have super hearing she relied on those who did for information.

"Yeah. Derek said that they're a little beat up but they're alright." Replied the Alphette, and then turned her attention to Sophie. "Do you still want to be our ally?"

"Uh..." Was all that could come out of the witch's mouth while she avoided her sister's narrowed eyes and frown.

"You're their ally, Sophie?" Jane-Anne questioned, not happy with the news.

"Thankfully." Melissa said, coming to Sophie's rescue. "She helped save lives tonight, and without her and the others I would have been overwhelmed."

"Um, Argent, could you please take everyone to the new safe house to rest while I speak with Jackson, Vincent and the Deverauxs?" Scott asked before anything more could be said, returning to the room after Derek gave him an update.

Chris nodded and the members of the McCall Pack took that as their order to get their things and leave with the man, all except Malia.

"Take my things with you, Hayden. I'm staying with Scott." The Tate told the werejaguar-werewolf hybrid and vampire-witch-werewolf tribrid didn't bother arguing, he just asked Corey to take his things too along with Jordan's.

Jane-Anne realized at that moment why Scott didn't have a problem with bringing her there and she had to admit that it was a smart move although the place might have some things witches could use to track down his pack.

"So, you're our new ally?" The True Alpha asked Sophie but someone else answered for her.

"Of course not." Jane-Anne said, not giving her younger sister a chance to respond. "Sophie is a member of the French Quarter Coven and the Witch Faction, not an individual witch like Vincent. She can't just ally herself to another faction."

"The same Witch Faction that sacrifices children?" Inquired Malia, but the witch knew the girl was taking a hit at her faction's Harvest Ritual and wondered how she knew about it.

Vincent, on the other hand, thought about what the woman he loved more than his own life tried to do that got her sent to the Dowager Fauline cottage, the reason why he couldn't look the other way anymore.

"We knew that they would return." The older Deveraux defended, crossing her arms defensively. "Do you really think that I would risk my daughter's life on a maybe?"

"You know, I've learned that returning isn't the problem, it's the side effects of dying and coming back to life that's important and you should be concerned about." Scott said, thinking about the side effect that he still felt to this day and he would continue to feel for the rest of his immortal life.

Sometimes he wondered if the darkness around his heart had something to do with why he wasn't overwhelming with guilt and remorse like he expected for the deaths he caused directly and indirectly since unlocking and accepting his true nature.

Instead of feeling the overwhelming guilt and remorse, the True Alpha felt like he did when he allowed Deucalion to rip the Darach Jennifer Blake's throat open, a little numb and though he didn't want to admit it he also felt...

"What side effects?" Sophie asked, unease, and so was Jane-Anne.

"You're a witch, Sophie. You should know that nothing comes without a cost, especially resurrection, something that goes against the natural order." Replied the boy, and unknowingly sounded like a male version of her sister.

Said sister considered what Scott said and realized that she never thought about it. It had been easy to overlook the potential side effects of resurrection when she learned that Monique was chosen to be a Harvest Witch, an honor second only to the regency, during and after the ritual but now...

"Anyway, that isn't what I was going to speak with you (Sophie) about, but since you're not Pack or our ally..." the True Alpha continued, before he showed the Deverauxs the door. 

Though adrenaline was still present in his body he was tired but there were things that he needed to address before he could sleep and much more before he could leave New Orleans. Becoming Co-King of New Orleans wasn't in the McCall's plans nor was becoming the alpha of a super pack but here he was, both of those things.

Malia saw Jane-Anne and Sophie out of the safe house then rejoined Scott, Vincent and Jackson, and she, like everyone, was tired but running on adrenaline and couldn't wait to get some rest.

"There's a meeting later today and you're invited, Vincent. If you want to attend it I'll send someone to pick you up." the Tribrid said.

"What is it about?" The Griffith asked.

"You'll find out if you come to the meeting." The McCall replied.

Vincent thought it over, accepted the invitation and left, heading home to get some needed sleep, hopefully without thinking about seeing his father or how he has his eyes on him the entire time at Marcel's house.

"Jackson, I need you to call the former alphas and tell them that we have a meeting at-" Scott paused to check the time; he knew it was past midnight but he wanted to give everyone some time to rest before the meeting. "Ten this morning at the Bayou where we performed the ritual and that you can each bring two people with you."

With his task clear the Kenner left as well. He knew, from eavesdropping, that the meeting probably had something to do with Derek's question about what to do with their captives so he didn't ask questions, he, however, wondered what the new Co-King of New Orleans was going to do about Oliver's encounter with Malia.

"At last!" exclaimed the Alphette, glad that they could finally get some rest, but first... "Want to tell me how you're the Alpha of every werewolf in New Orleans and Co-King of New Orleans?"

"I, uh..." The McCall struggled to answer, he knew the questions were coming and though Derek spared him from answering during their phone call it was only temporarily. "I'll explain in the car."

"Fine." The Tate replied, after giving the boy a long look.

They checked to see if there was anything the others left at the house before Scott cast a barrier spell on the house then they left.  
————  
The drive home for Jane-Anne and Sophie was surprisingly quiet, too quiet for the latter. She was waiting to be grilled by her older sister and receive a lecture afterwards but none of that. Jane-Anne seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and Sophie wasn't planning to disturb...

"Tell me everything that happened since your disappearance, Sophie." The older Deveraux instructed out of the blue, her voice like a gun in the relative silence. "And don't leave anything out."

Something told the younger Deveraux that Jane-Anne was onto something. What? She didn't know. But whatever it was...

"Did you hear me, Sophie?"

"Sure. Sure. What do you want to know exactly?" Sophie asked, looking for some information.

"Everything."  
————  
Jackson did as he was instructed once he left the safe house, ending with calling the former Alpha of the Phiri Pack who informed him that they managed to capture the corrupt members of the Human Faction after they left Marcel's house before the FBI could get to them.

Though the Kenner didn't understand why Scott gave the order to capture the corrupt members of the Human Faction, on their way to the safe house after telling Jane-Anne to follow them, he was glad that the mission was a success since the Phiri Pack proved to be capable and effective.  
————  
"You don't remember anything?" Marcel questioned Diego and Gia once everyone was gone.

"Nothing." Diego answered, and Gia seconded him, both confused.

"This boy is dangerous." The vampire Co-King said, his concern rising with each second.

Scott McCall not only matched Lucien, the oldest non-original vampire in the world, in a fight he also made the man verbally acknowledge his defeat right before killing him and planned and executed a successful modified coup d'état all the while making people doubt and lose faith in the Faction, all in one night.

It was terrifying to think of what the boy was capable of, especially with the help of the unknown witch covertly assisting him, capable of doing possession spells without a room full of witches noticing. That thought actually made the Gerard suspect that it wasn't just a single witch but a coven.

"Yeah, but all werewolves are dangerous." Diego corrected, though he did agree with his leader.

"What more is real besides vampires, witches and werewolves?" Asked Gia, still shocked by the existence of werewolves.

She knew that vampires and witches existed because Marcel told her about them and she was a vampire in a city full of witches, but werewolves? What was more being that one of them killed the vampire she was told was the most powerful one in all of New Orleans with using his fatal bite.

Gia wanted to know what more she might have to fight and rightfully so.

"A lot of creatures thought to be mythology." Responded Marcel, but he wasn't on the mood to go into detail, not after what happened. "Go check on the walkers, Diego. Both day and night walkers and take Gia with you."

"What about you? I can't leave you unprotected with those damned wolves loose." The vampire replied, not willing to leave his leader alone.

"Just go, I'll be fine. As much as I hate to admit it if Scott wanted me dead I would be dead."

Diego hated hearing that as much as Marcel hated admitting but he reluctantly followed his friend and leader's order, with Gia following as well, concerned and just as reluctant.

Once they left the Gerard slowly stood from his chair before he furiously threw it against a wall on the other side of the ballroom with an equally furious cry and it shattered on impact. He followed that up by grabbing a nearby table and flipped it over and continued to tear the room apart, all the while screaming in frustration and fury.

Marcel couldn't believe that all it took to tear down the kingdom he built with Lucien was a night, one single night and a pack led by a teenage boy. It took careful planning, betraying the Mikaelson's and Mikael chasing out his children to finally get out of Klaus' shadow and actually live how he wanted to, the nights events didn't please the vampire at all.

It was ridiculous how the event that was meant to showcase the power of the Vampire Faction turned out to be the perfect stage to showcase the return of werewolves, but even worse, evolved werewolves. Just thinking about evolved werewolves made Marcel replay Scott's performance.

The boy was fast, very fast, super strong and proved to be durable, and though that was concerning what was even more concerning was how he recovered just before he went on his final attack on Lucien. The black smoke that closed his wounds and evaporated his blood...

That boy truly was dangerous. He outsmarted and... And... Marcel just remembered Lucien's projects and quickly stopped threshing the room only to just as quickly leave it and the house, his destination the Kingmaker main research base. He hoped to salvage the research before anything happened to it or at least save whatever was left.

It didn't take long for the Gerard to arrive at his destination but it was filled with the police and forensics and...

"It's strange, Deputy Parrish. The victims aren't saying much about what happened, how they escaped and who helped them." Marcel overhead an older police officer say to a young man wearing...

"They're already making statements, Detective Kinney?"

"Some of them."

The Gerard tuned them out in favor of finding an officer he could attack and take his clothes for himself so that he could perform his own search.

It didn't take long before he found one but just as he was about to approach and compel him the male officer looked him straight in the eye with black eyes, bringing the surprised vampire to a halt.

"This property belongs to True Alpha and Co-King Scott McCall, and you are not welcome to it or any of his other properties. Leave and never return. This is your only friendly warning, heed it or else..." The officer said, being possessed by Raven6.

"Or else what?" Marcel interrupted, not liking how Scott was taking over his city and now preventing him from getting Lucien's projects.

"Or else he'll not be a Co-King but the King of New Orleans. You might be an apex predator, Marcel, but the True Alpha is the Apex of Apex Predators. Don't piss him off." Replied Raven6, then purposely turned his back on the vampire and began to walk away from him.

Just as the vampire Co-King moved to attack the man before him Deputy Parrish suddenly made his presence known.

"Is there a problem here, Officer Ray?" The hellhound asked, joining the two.

"Not at all, Deputy. This man was just leaving." Officer Ray, shortened for Raven6, replied.

Marcel swallowed his pride and left. For now. He was going to come back and see if he could find what he was looking for later but until then he decided to find all that he could about Scott McCall, Scott McCall and his original pack the McCall Pack.  
————  
Once Josephine arrived at her home she immediately went about contacting the Ancestors to discuss what happened, what was happening and what was to happen. They were right about the great storm and now that it has announced and introduced itself in the form of Scott McCall and the New Beacon Pack the Regent wanted to know what to do.

She needed the Ancestors' guidance now more than ever since the new Co-King already turned one coven against her.  
————  
Malia and Scott ended up stopping at an opened fast food restaurant on the way to their second safe house to get themselves and the pack some food. They were currently waiting for their order which they had to pay upfront because of the ridiculous amount of food they ordered.

"So, you're no longer going to college?" The Tate asked her companion, having been filled in on what happened.

"I'm definitely going." Replied the McCall, matter-of-factly, not willing to think otherwise.

"How? You have a super pack and an entire city to lead now, Scott." The girl reminded.

And just like that, everything became real to Scott. There was a surreal feel about the night's events before but Malia solidified everything as reality with her comment and the boy began to panic.

Being the leader of a pack of friends was one thing, and even it proved to be challenging, being the leader of multiple packs and co-leader of a city of supernaturals...

The Alphette smelled the panic before it could materialize and held the McCall's hand with her own, gaining his attention. She didn't say anything, she didn't have to.

All that Scott needed to hear, to know, was in the way Malia looked at him, the gentleness in her eyes as she gently squeezed his hand in assurance, comfort and confidence. He remembered that he wasn't alone, that the plans that he made while 'detained' at Marcel's house involved other people, people that made his pack.

Scott wasn't going to fail the New Beacon Pack nor was he going to fail New Orleans because he had the right people around him. Like Malia, the girl that was currently holding his hand with her eyes locked with his, a growing smile on her lips that he naturally mirrored.

There were still a few things the biological son of Niklaus Mikaelson needed to do before the meeting in the morning, like speak with both his primary emissary and secondary emissary, Chris and Derek, but until then he was going to order himself and Malia ice cream to share.


End file.
